A majority of Indian employees believe artificial intelligence (AI) has significantly enhanced their daily work experience, but most organisations have yet to integrate the technology into their core business systems, limiting its full potential, according to a new report released by enterprise software company Workday.
The study found that 89 per cent of Indian employees say AI has positively impacted their day-to-day work by helping them perform routine tasks more efficiently. However, despite this high level of employee confidence and readiness, only 32 per cent believe AI is deeply embedded into the systems and workflows where work actually takes place. According to the report, this disconnect between employee adoption and enterprise implementation is preventing organisations from fully realising the benefits of AI.
"Employees here believe in the power of AI to improve their work. AI has the potential to address the copy-and-paste time waste, and employees are ready for it. However, only 32 per cent of employees say their organisation has AI deeply embedded in their core systems, leaving it on the periphery," the report stated.
While AI is proving effective in helping individuals complete tasks more quickly and efficiently, disconnected enterprise systems continue to create operational bottlenecks. Employees are often forced to spend valuable time transferring information between different platforms and coordinating across multiple teams rather than focusing on meaningful, value-generating work.
The findings reveal that more than one-third of employees lose over seven hours every week simply moving data between different systems. Additionally, 56 per cent of respondents said they spend at least half of their working time coordinating across disconnected systems and teams instead of contributing to strategic business outcomes.
Despite these challenges, the report paints an encouraging picture of employee engagement in India. Nearly all respondents reported having a positive day-to-day work experience, while more than nine out of ten said they regularly make meaningful progress in their roles. A similar proportion indicated that they have a strong sense of ownership over their work and clearly understand how their contributions support their organisation's broader goals.
The report suggests that organisations now have an opportunity to move beyond deploying standalone AI tools by integrating artificial intelligence directly into the core systems and workflows employees use every day. Doing so, it says, would reduce operational friction, improve efficiency and allow employees to devote more time to higher-value and strategic responsibilities.
Commenting on the findings, Sunil Jose, President of Workday India, said Indian employees have demonstrated a strong willingness to embrace AI and are already experiencing tangible benefits in their daily work.
Also read: West Asia conflict: Crude oil futures rebound over 3 pc
"Our research shows that Indian employees are ready to embrace AI and are already experiencing its benefits in their day-to-day work. The next phase of enterprise AI will depend on how effectively organisations integrate AI into the way work gets done," Jose said. He added that disconnected systems continue to prevent businesses from unlocking AI's full potential.
"As long as employees continue to navigate disconnected systems and workflows, organisations will only realise a fraction of AI's potential. Those that embed AI into the core of their business operations will be better positioned to simplify work, improve decision-making and create meaningful value across the enterprise," he said.
The report also highlighted the importance of trust in driving AI adoption. According to the findings, 95 per cent of employees said AI increases their confidence in decision-making when they trust the underlying enterprise systems and the quality of the data powering them.
Workday concluded that the next stage of enterprise AI is not about introducing more AI tools but about embedding intelligent capabilities into trusted business systems and everyday workflows. Organisations that successfully achieve this integration are likely to streamline operations, reduce inefficiencies and create greater capacity for employees to focus on strategic work that delivers stronger business outcomes.
Follow us
