India outperforms world on Gen AI at work; 75% say AI improves decision-making: EY survey

About 62% of Indian employees say they use Gen AI regularly at work.

India is pulling ahead of the rest of the world in how effectively generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI) is being used at work, with employees reporting stronger gains in productivity, decision-making, and workplace trust than global peers, according to a new survey by EY.

The EY 2025 Work Reimagined Survey, released on December 22, shows India leading the firm’s ‘AI Advantage’ score at 53, significantly higher than the global average of 34.

The score measures the real impact of AI at work by quantifying outcomes such as time saved by employees. The data places India among the most effective markets globally in translating AI adoption into measurable workplace benefits.

The survey, now in its sixth edition, covers 15,000 employees and 1,500 employers across 29 markets. In India, 800 employees and 50 employers were surveyed.

About 62 percent of Indian employees say they use Gen AI regularly at work.

As many as 90 percent of employers and 86 percent of employees believe AI has a positive impact on productivity. On decision-making, 75 percent of employees and 72 percent of employers say Gen AI improves the quality of decisions, a key differentiator compared with global markets where adoption remains uneven.

Quality of output has also improved, with 82 percent of employees and 92 percent of employers in India saying AI has had a positive impact on the standard of work delivered.

Despite high awareness, a gap remains between intent and action on learning.

While 87 percent of employees and 90 percent of employers in India say learning new skills is essential, most employees globally spend fewer than 40 hours a year on AI learning.

The survey shows that employees who invest more time in AI learning report lower intent to leave and save more hours at work, reinforcing the productivity impact of structured skilling.

Commenting on the findings, Anurag Malik, Partner and National Leader, People Consulting at EY India, said organisations are taking a more intentional approach to balancing productivity, skills and employee experience. He said the real impact of AI comes from how employers strengthen talent health and workforce capability, rather than from technology adoption alone.