New Delhi, Feb 12 (IANS) Indian businesses are making significant strides in AI adoption, with 87 per cent of surveyed companies have advanced their AI strategies for 2024 and 76 per cent already seeing positive returns on their investments, a report said on Wednesday.
Companies are not only investing in AI for the long term but are also increasingly leveraging open-source tools to drive innovation and maximise returns.
A remarkable 89 per cent of surveyed companies have already launched more than 10 AI pilot projects in 2024, according to new research by IT major IBM.
Looking ahead, 93 per cent of respondents plan to increase their AI investments in 2025, and 71 per cent aim to leverage open-source ecosystems to optimise their AI implementation.
However, governance has emerged as a key concern, with businesses recognising the importance of responsible AI practices.
Implementing AI responsibly requires a structured approach that ensures fairness, transparency, privacy and explainability.
The biggest challenges in AI adoption include a lack of governance (53 per cent), insufficient AI expertise (51 per cent), difficulties in technology integration (51 per cent), data management issues (41 per cent), and struggles to generate business value (39 per cent).
Despite these challenges, Indian enterprises remain committed to AI investments.
About 97 per cent of surveyed organisations plan to either increase or maintain their AI spending in 2025.
They are focusing on specific areas such as IT operations, where 83 per cent of companies are investing, software coding, which is a priority for 56 per cent, and data quality management, which 55 per cent of businesses are emphasising to enhance their AI capabilities.
To optimise AI investments, 71 per cent of companies are prioritising open-source tools, 70 per cent are focusing on managed cloud services, and sixty-six per cent are planning to hire specialised AI talent.
Open-source AI solutions are playing a growing role in India’s AI ecosystem.
Nearly 48 per cent of Indian companies reported that more than half of their AI solutions are based on open-source technologies.
“India is rapidly embracing AI with a clear focus on driving innovation and ROI. The growing use of open-source AI tools is crucial for improving productivity and financial returns,” said Sandip Patel, Managing Director, IBM India & South Asia.
He added that it’s clear that this technology needs to be leveraged responsibly if we are to scale its use.
The report also noted that larger enterprises are more likely to rely on open-source solutions for their AI needs.
–IANS
pk/na
