India leads Asia Pacific with 92% AI adoption rate, says BCG report

India has emerged to the forefront of the global AI adoption race, with 92 per cent of the workers already incorporating the technology into their everyday working tasks. The Asia Pacific region, with its 78 per cent of AI-utilising workers, is leading the way, while the world map shows an average of 72 per cent for non-obsolete AI users. This increasing and unbroken trend of adoption has crowned Asia Pacific the world’s king in the area of AI workplace integration, according to the recent report released by Boston Consulting Group (BCG).

The BCG X study, the tech build and design branch of BCG, confirms that the region’s workforce is not only more inclined to operate with AI but is also more cheerful about its power, notwithstanding the mounting concerns over job security. A close to 60 per cent slice of the Asia Pacific workers are optimistic about the influence of AI, whereas more than half (52 per cent) are the ones who are concerned about job displacement in their case.

“India’s AI adoption rate, the highest in Asia Pacific, signals not just enthusiasm but readiness for the next phase of transformation,” said Nipun Kalra, India Leader, BCG X, BCG (as reported by ANI).

“What’s unique about India’s journey is the confidence of its workforce and the strength of its leadership engagement, with 58 per cent of frontline employees receiving clear guidance on AI use, nearly double the regional average, creating fertile ground for scaled, responsible innovation,” he added.

The report has concluded that in the Asia Pacific, the AI adoption was not only confined to the office or management positions. Even in the mentioned region, 70 per cent of frontline workers are availing themselves of AI weekly or more often, while only 51 per cent use the same in the rest of the world. This really shows how the employees in all positions are at the forefront of the digital change coming from the ground up.

However, the research also uncovers significant gaps, with 73 per cent of workers foreseeing AI agents as a major force in three to five years, but only one-third have some grasp of how these tools actually work. Moreover, 58 per cent of employees admitted that they would resort to AI tools even if the company disallowed it, indicating an urgent need for better governance and supervision.

BCG’s research emphasises that although the area is at the forefront of technology adoption, sustainable development will be reliant on refining the organisational structure, leadership backing, and skill enhancement.

“This report provides a straightforward idea of how companies can transition from testing AI to completely reinventing their operating models,” Kalra commented. “For India and the surrounding region, the chance is now to carefully plan the changeover, incorporating governance, skills, and structures that turn AI’s potential into discernible enterprise and economic value.”