Indian businesses lead global AI ROI, grapple with data challenges: Adobe Study

Time of India

2 days ago

HighlightsA new report from Adobe reveals that Indian businesses are leading the world in return on investment from generative artificial intelligence adoption, with 23 per cent already seeing measurable results. Despite the high adoption rates, 77 per cent of consumers in India express a desire for personalised recommendations, while only 53 per cent currently receive them, highlighting a gap in customer expectations. Indian executives are increasingly prioritising the integration of generative AI and machine learning to enhance personalised customer experiences, with 69 per cent indicating that this technology will significantly influence their technology decisions in the next 12 to 24 months.
A new report from Adobe, the "2025 AI and
Digital Trends
India snapshot," highlights that Indian businesses are demonstrating the highest return on investment (ROI) from generative artificial intelligence (AI) adoption globally. However, these businesses concurrently face significant hurdles related to data management.
The study, which surveyed 345 executives and 841 consumers in India, found that almost a quarter (23 per cent) of Indian businesses are already seeing measurable results from their generative AI initiatives. This figure represents the highest in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region.
Executives in India reported notable benefits from generative AI, including a greater volume and speed in content ideation and production, cited by 73 per cent, and increased productivity and efficiency, noted by 67 per cent.
Prativa Mohapatra, vice president and managing director, Adobe India, commented, "Indian businesses are setting the global pace for realising ROI on AI initiatives as most are improving scale, speed, and efficiencies. For further growth, businesses will need to invest in solving data challenges and adopting agentic AI to free teams from repetitive tasks and enable more meaningful interventions that deliver relevant and real-time personalised customer experiences."
Businesses are also prioritising customer journey optimisation for 2025, recognising its potential to drive broader business growth by increasing efficiency in repetitive tasks. This is followed by personalised experiences and leveraging AI.
Satya Ramaswamy, chief digital and technology officer at Air India, provided an example of AI's integration, stating, "AI is no longer a futuristic concept at Air India – it's the engine powering our customer-first transformation. From AI.g, our GenAI chatbot, to the intelligent eZ booking platform built using agentic AI capabilities, we're creating a travel ecosystem that's proactive, fast, intuitive, and deeply personalised. Adobe's customer experience technologies help us stay aligned with the evolving expectations of modern travelers, who look for tailored recommendations, actions and offers at every stage of their journey. With Real-Time CDP, Adobe Target, and Adobe Experience Manager, we're able to harness data in real time, optimise every interaction, and deliver the seamless consistency that today's travelers expect. Together, we're not just keeping up with change - we're shaping the future of flying.'
Despite this progress, a gap remains in meeting customer demands for personalisation. While 77 per cent of consumers expressed a desire for personalised recommendations and offers, only 53 per cent currently receive them.
The study also observed an increasing consumer embrace of AI-powered assistants, with more than half preferring them for tasks such as scheduling appointments (56 per cent), tech support (56 per cent), and placing orders (52 per cent). This indicates a readiness among consumers for more advanced AI tools, including agentic AI.
Data Imperatives for Next Wave of AI InnovationWith customer expectations for personalisation on the rise, executives are looking to generative AI to significantly boost content production speed and volume, with 85 per cent anticipating such benefits this year.
However, the foundational data requirements for achieving comprehensive personalisation present an obstacle for practitioners. Fifty-five per cent believe that balancing AI with human creativity is where they need to focus most to fully realise the value of generative AI. Concurrently, 57 per cent of executives identify governance, compliance, and privacy concerns as their primary barriers to scaling AI.
As leaders in generative AI adoption, Indian executives are increasingly relying on AI and machine learning to hyper-personalise the customer experience, with 69 per cent stating that this technology will most influence their technology stack decisions over the next 12 to 24 months.