Bengaluru, May 11: While artificial intelligence adoption continues to accelerate across Indian enterprises, questions around governance, measurable returns, and operational readiness remain unresolved, according to the newly released 2026 AI Pulse Poll by ISACA.
The annual global survey found that 86 percent of employees in India are currently using AI within their organisations. However, only 35 percent of respondents believe AI’s return on investment (ROI) has met or exceeded expectations, highlighting the growing gap between adoption and measurable business outcomes.
The report gathered insights from more than 3,400 digital trust professionals globally, including 265 respondents from India, spanning IT audit, cybersecurity, governance, privacy, and emerging technology functions.
The findings reveal that while AI is becoming deeply embedded in enterprise operations, governance structures and risk preparedness are still evolving.
Nearly half (49 percent) of Indian organisations now report having a formal and comprehensive AI policy, a significant increase from 32 percent in 2025 and notably higher than the global average of 38 percent. However, 23 percent still operate with only limited AI policies, while 20 percent have no active AI policy in place.
The survey also reflects continued uncertainty around AI investment outcomes in India:
- 21 percent believe it is too early to assess ROI
- 21 percent cite limited ROI so far
- 18 percent say they do not know the ROI
- 35 percent say AI ROI has met or exceeded expectations, compared to 22 percent globally
Commenting on the findings, Keith Bloomfield-DeWeese said:
“There’s enormous pressure on organizations to show that AI is paying off, but the pulse poll reveals a more honest picture: most organizations aren’t yet sure whether it has. That uncertainty isn’t a failure of AI, but a reflection of how hard it is to build something that actually works at scale.”
The survey highlights that AI usage in India is increasingly focused on practical business applications, including:
- Increasing productivity (56 percent)
- Automating repetitive tasks (55 percent)
- Creating written content (51 percent)
- Analysing large volumes of data (42 percent)
AI literacy is also emerging as a critical workforce priority. Around 82 percent of Indian respondents believe AI skills are very or extremely important to their profession, while 35 percent said their organisations now provide AI training to all employees, up from 22 percent last year.
Looking ahead, 57 percent of respondents expect AI-related jobs to increase over the next 12 months, compared to 46 percent in 2025. However, workloads continue to remain high, with 66 percent reporting that job responsibilities have either increased or remained unchanged despite AI adoption.
The report also identifies key operational and security concerns surrounding AI deployment. More than half (53 percent) of Indian respondents said they do not know how long it would take their organisation to halt an AI system during a security incident, while 35 percent remain unsure whether documented AI shutdown procedures exist.
Among the most significant AI-related risks identified by respondents were:
- Privacy violations (73 percent)
- Misinformation and disinformation (72 percent)
- Loss of intellectual property (55 percent)
- Social engineering (53 percent)
- Job displacement (44 percent)
At the same time, confidence in detecting AI-powered misinformation has improved, with 56 percent of respondents expressing confidence in their personal ability to identify AI-generated misinformation, compared to 39 percent in 2025.
The survey also highlights growing attention toward ethical and environmental considerations linked to AI adoption. Around 85 percent of respondents in India said their organisations consider environmental concerns associated with AI usage, though only 32 percent strongly agreed that sufficient attention is being paid to ethical standards in AI implementation.
Commenting on the need for stronger governance frameworks, Chetan Anand said:
“The growing momentum of AI in India is not just about adoption but accountability. Organizations world over are moving fast on the adoption of AI, and India is no exception. However, the gaps in governance, training and ROI measurement show that maturity has not kept pace.”
To support digital trust professionals navigating the evolving AI landscape, ISACA has expanded its AI-focused learning resources and introduced three new advanced certifications covering AI audit, AI security management, and AI risk management.
