India Emerges as Global Leader in Agentic AI Adoption, Says Deloitte Report

These autonomous agents—AI systems capable of operating independently to complete specific tasks—are becoming central to how Indian companies are reimagining innovation, efficiency, and digital transformation.

Agentic AI, the broader concept encompassing the use of such independent agents to automate and manage complex workflows, is quickly gaining traction across industries. Deloitte’s report reveals a significant shift in how Indian organizations are approaching AI—not just as a tool, but as a strategic asset. “Over 80% of Indian organisations are actively exploring the development of autonomous agents, indicating a substantial shift towards Agentic AI,” the report notes.

One of the most exciting trends highlighted is the growing focus on multi-agent workflows. In this model, multiple sub-agents work collaboratively under the supervision of a master agent to achieve goal-oriented tasks. Half of the surveyed Indian businesses identified this setup as a top priority, reflecting a clear movement toward building more sophisticated, decentralized AI ecosystems.

The survey, which gathered insights from 2,773 C-suite leaders across 14 countries, also shows that about 70% of Indian companies are looking to use Generative AI (GenAI) primarily for automation. More than half of the organizations are running over ten GenAI experiments, signaling a robust experimentation mindset. However, despite the enthusiasm, certain challenges persist.

Concerns about AI errors (36%), bias and hallucinations (30%), and data quality (30%) continue to act as barriers to large-scale deployment. Most businesses currently rely on off-the-shelf AI tools for rapid implementation, but this strategy has its downsides. 

A significant 28% of firms fear their existing solutions may become obsolete within just two years, raising questions about long-term sustainability and adaptability.

Still, Indian companies remain optimistic. The report notes that many expect to overcome current hurdles within the next two years through strategic investments in scalable technology, agile innovation approaches, and stronger governance frameworks.

Moumita Sarker, Partner at Deloitte India, emphasized the importance of building trust in AI systems to ensure lasting success. “Our report indicates that most Indian organisations prefer buying AI solutions over developing them in-house. In such a case, ensuring adaptability to evolving needs is a challenge,” she said. 

“Embracing an agile innovation approach is essential to stay ahead of AI advancements and optimise long-term returns. Balancing rapid adoption with sustainable strategies will be key to successful AI investment and growth.”

As India pushes forward, the message is clear: to remain at the forefront of the AI revolution, businesses must not only embrace agentic AI but do so thoughtfully—with a clear focus on flexibility, trust, and long-term vision.