99% of Indian Business Leaders Consider Generative AI Important for Success – Salesforce Research

60% of Indian Leaders have a clear generative AI strategy in Place

Data Privacy, Governance Among Top Barriers to Adoption

A Salesforce survey of over 300 C-suite leaders across India found strong consensus on the importance of generative AI for business success in the coming years. An impressive 99% of respondents identified generative AI as an important factor, highlighting a major shift towards AI-driven transformation within the Indian corporate landscape.

The findings indicate that 60% of leaders from large organisations already have a well-defined generative AI strategy, while 32% are in the process of developing one. This growing commitment underscores the urgency for businesses to adopt generative AI technologies to remain competitive.

Key drivers of generative AI integration

Respondents ranked generative AI as a top business priority, with the following factors driving its adoption:

• Customer expectations for faster, more personalised experiences (56%)
• Boosting productivity and efficiency (55%)
• Employee demand for generative AI tools (49%)

Despite the enthusiasm surrounding generative AI, significant barriers to adoption persist. Among the challenges C-suite leaders acknowledged could hinder progress were:

• Accessibility and inclusivity issues (38%)
• Concerns about inaccurate outputs (34%)
• Incomplete customer and company data (32%)
• Lack of governance (30%)

Interestingly, 73% of C-suite executives reported using generative AI tools regularly at work, indicating that while adoption is widespread, addressing these barriers is crucial to unlocking the full potential of generative AI.

Investment opportunities and ROI

When examining the potential impacts of generative AI:

• 31% of C-suite executives identified significant benefits in customer-facing roles, particularly in customer service.
• 44% see the biggest transformation potential in IT.
• 33% see substantial opportunities in finance.

All C-suite respondents expressed confidence in delegating at least one task to AI without human oversight within the next three years, reflecting a growing trust in AI’s capabilities.

At Dreamforce, Salesforce unveiled Agentforce, a groundbreaking suite of customizable, autonomous agents and tools, customers can build their own ‘agent force’. Agentforce agents can analyze data, determine what needs to be done, and take action, all without human supervision. Additionally, these agents can effortlessly hand off to humans with full context, enhancing collaboration and customer interactions.

Leadership’s Crucial Role

Leadership is key in navigating risks related to data security and privacy during generative AI adoption:

• C-suite leaders (76%) hold primary responsibility for the integration of generative AI
• CEOs (42%), CIOs/CTOs (18%), and department heads (15%) also play crucial roles in driving generative AI transformation.

Salesforce’s commitment to secure AI solutions

Salesforce recognises the value for businesses to embrace generative AI effectively. Through innovations like the Einstein Service Agent and Einstein Sales Agents, built on the Agentforce Platform and powered by Data Cloud, Salesforce is dedicated to helping customers deliver enhanced productivity and value.

To ensure data security and trust, Salesforce has developed the Einstein Trust Layer, allowing customers to leverage generative AI without compromising their data privacy.

Comments on the news

“In the Indian business landscape, the pressure on leaders to speedily and effectively integrate generative AI is more pronounced than ever. At Salesforce, we understand this dynamic and are committed to being trusted AI advisors to our customers,” said Arun Parameswaran, Managing Director- Sales, Salesforce India. “Our focus is guiding businesses through the roadmap of responsible AI innovation, ensuring they can unlock the full potential of this technology. By enhancing productivity and accelerating growth, we aim to empower Indian organisations to meet and exceed the evolving expectations of their customers and employees.”

Methodology:

Salesforce commissioned YouGov to conduct a double-anonymous online survey of top-tier leaders of large businesses in India. The survey was conducted from 17th-28th July 2024 and yielded responses from 302 key corporate leaders across various departments at companies with more than 250 employees.

More information:

• Find the full ‘C-suite perspectives on generative AI’ India report here
• Learn more about Einstein Sales Agents and Einstein Service Agent
• Learn why the next great leap forward will be autonomous AI agents
• Unlock the Four Keys to Enterprise AI Success
• Say hello to Salesforce Data Cloud