Indian employees AI-ready, but enterprise workflows holding them back: Report

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], July 30 (ANI): While a majority of Indian employees say artificial intelligence (AI) has improved their day-to-day work experience, only 32 per cent believe AI is embedded into the core systems where work happens, highlighting a gap between employee readiness and enterprise adoption, according to a new report by Workday.
The report found that 89 per cent of Indian employees say AI has improved their day-to-day work experience. However, organisations are yet to fully integrate AI into their core business systems and workflows, limiting the technology's overall impact.
It stated, "Employees here believe in the power of AI to improve their work.......... AI has the potential to address the copy/paste time waste, and employees are ready for it. However, only 32 per cent of employees say their organization has AI deeply embedded in their core systems, leaving it on the periphery"
According to the report, AI is helping employees complete individual tasks more efficiently, but disconnected systems and workflows continue to consume a significant amount of employee time.
More than one-third of employees lose over seven hours each week moving information between systems, while 56 per cent spend at least half of their effort coordinating across different systems and teams instead of creating value for their organisations.
Despite these operational challenges, the report presents an optimistic picture of India's workforce. Nearly all employees reported a positive day-to-day work experience, while more than nine in ten said they make meaningful progress at work, feel a strong sense of ownership over their responsibilities and understand how their contributions support broader organisational goals.
The findings suggest that organisations have an opportunity to move beyond standalone AI tools by embedding AI into the core systems and workflows where work takes place.
According to the report, this could reduce operational friction and enable employees to spend more time on strategic and higher-value work.
Commenting on the findings, Sunil Jose, President, Workday India, said, "Our research shows that Indian employees are ready to embrace AI and are already experiencing its benefits in their day-to-day work. The next phase of enterprise AI will depend on how effectively organizations integrate AI into the way work gets done."
He added, "As long as employees continue to navigate disconnected systems and workflows, organizations will only realize a fraction of AI's potential. Those that embed AI into the core of their business operations will be better positioned to simplify work, improve decision-making and create meaningful value across the enterprise."
The report also found that trust in enterprise systems plays an important role in AI adoption. Nearly all employees, or 95 per cent, said AI increases their confidence in decision-making when they trust the underlying systems and data.
According to Workday, the next phase of enterprise AI is not about adding more AI tools but about embedding AI into trusted enterprise systems and workflows.
The report said organisations that do so can simplify operations, reduce friction and create greater capacity for employees to focus on strategic, high-value work that delivers stronger business outcomes. (ANI)