India is main the Asia-Pacific (APAC) area in making use of synthetic intelligence (AI) to fulfill sustainability objectives, based on Autodesk’s 2025 State of Design & Make report. The examine highlights that greater than half of Indian enterprise leaders are utilizing AI to ship environmentally accountable outcomes, effectively above the worldwide and APAC averages.
Indian enterprise leaders stay optimistic in regards to the position of AI, with 79 per cent believing that AI will improve their trade, in comparison with a world common of 69 per cent. The report additionally reveals that 52 per cent of leaders in India contemplate AI capabilities their prime hiring precedence for the approaching years.
On the similar time, 61 per cent of Indian leaders recognise AI’s potential to disrupt their trade. This view is extra pronounced amongst digitally mature organisations, with 65 per cent anticipating important shifts in comparison with 52 per cent of much less mature companies.
Shift in the direction of sustainability
The report notes that 52 per cent of Indian corporations are already utilizing AI to help sustainability initiatives, in comparison with a world common of 39 per cent. With digital transformation gaining momentum, many organisations are viewing sustainability as a core enterprise technique quite than a compliance requirement.
In keeping with the findings, 86 per cent of Indian leaders imagine sustainability initiatives might contribute over 5 per cent to annual income. Amongst digitally mature corporations, 84 per cent say that sustainability efforts are serving to to draw and retain expertise, in comparison with 67 per cent amongst much less digitally mature corporations.
“Indian companies will not be simply adopting AI, they’re utilizing it with function. By integrating AI into their sustainability efforts, they’re turning compliance into aggressive benefit,” mentioned Alok Sharma, Director AEC, Autodesk India and SAARC. “This strategic shift is driving actual influence, from income development to expertise attraction, inserting India on the forefront of sustainable innovation within the area.”
Abilities hole and belief challenges
The report additionally factors to a big abilities scarcity. About 67 per cent of Indian enterprise leaders say the shortage of expert employees is limiting their development, with 68 per cent struggling to search out candidates with the mandatory technical experience. In some circumstances, 67 per cent of leaders have needed to half methods with staff whose abilities didn’t meet evolving enterprise wants.
In response, 78 per cent of Indian corporations plan to extend funding in digital abilities coaching over the subsequent three years.
“Indian companies clearly recognise the long-term worth of AI and sustainability, however constructing the correct expertise and belief is important. Investing in abilities, particularly AI fluency, can be key to unlocking future development. The way forward for innovation hinges on empowering our workforce with the correct AI experience and constructing belief on this know-how, or danger falling behind in an more and more aggressive panorama. Autodesk India can also be driving a number of strategic initiatives with main tutorial establishments to deal with the ability hole within the design and make trade,” Sharma mentioned.
Whereas Indian companies stay broadly optimistic about AI’s potential, belief is changing into a problem. Confidence that corporations will make the correct selections concerning AI has declined barely to 81 per cent, from 85 per cent final 12 months. Total belief in AI has additionally dipped, standing at 79 per cent in comparison with 82 per cent in 2024.
“Whereas belief in AI could also be going through some challenges, Indian companies proceed to see its immense potential. The declining confidence in decision-making highlights the necessity for accountable implementation, however the dedication to long-term funding stays robust,” Sharma added. “AI is not only a development, it is a cornerstone of strategic development and innovation for the longer term.”
