According to a new report by the Capgemini Research, artificial intelligence (AI) is now delivering measurable returns as organisations are reporting an average return of 1.7x on AI investments, paving the way for accelerated adoption, particularly of agentic AI systems. Among early adopters of generative AI, 30 per cent have already integrated AI agents, and such projects are forecast to rise by 48 per cent by the end of 2025.
Capgemini’s research highlights that one in five organisations currently use AI agents or multi-agent systems. These technologies are driving cost savings and operational efficiencies across a wide range of business functions.
While some enterprises initially expressed hesitation about the return on investment from large-scale AI and generative AI (Gen AI) implementations, that scepticism is fading. With proven returns, 62 per cent of the surveyed firms have already increased their investment in Gen AI compared to last year.
Over the next three years, Gen AI is expected to enhance performance indicators such as time-to-market, productivity, and both customer and employee experience. Adoption has risen sharply, 36 per cent of organisations now use Gen AI, up from just 20 per cent a year ago. Of these, 30 per cent are using AI agents, with agentic AI initiatives projected to increase by nearly half in 2025.
Capgemini also notes that AI agents are already delivering strong results: reducing operational errors, improving customer satisfaction, cutting costs, and increasing efficiency. High-tech, industrial manufacturing, consumer products, energy and utilities, and pharmaceuticals are the top sectors adopting these technologies.
To unlock maximum value from AI, the report stresses the need for strong leadership, clear governance frameworks, and AI readiness across the organisation. Companies with these enablers are seeing returns on investment (ROI) 45 per cent faster than peers. Yet, only one in three leaders is actively championing Gen AI within their organisations.
Workforce readiness is emerging as another key success factor. Over the past two years, businesses using AI and automation have automated about 30 per cent of operational tasks. Nearly two-thirds of employees expect changes in their roles by 2028. As AI becomes more integrated, reskilling and upskilling will be crucial for effective human-AI collaboration.
India insights
The report finds that India is among the global frontrunners in AI investment. While 62 per cent of global companies have increased Gen AI spending, the number is even higher for Indian firms, 79 per cent of surveyed Indian executives reported a funding increase this year. Of these, 49 per cent used a mix of reallocated and new budgets, 27 per cent relied only on reallocation, and 24 per cent funded the increase entirely with new money.
Globally, three out of four executives favour proprietary models. In India, 36 per cent plan to use proprietary models from major hyperscalers like Microsoft Copilot and Google Gemini, while 33 per cent prefer niche players like OpenAI’s GPT-4 and Anthropic’s Claude. Key drivers for this preference include performance (77 per cent), security and compliance (74 per cent), seamless enterprise integration (69 per cent), and dedicated support (61 per cent).
Further, Gen AI maturity in India is advancing steadily. Among respondents, 37 per cent are in the strategy-building phase, 29 per cent have implemented Gen AI in select functions, and 20 per cent are still exploring. About 23 per cent of Indian firms already use agentic AI, while 25 per cent plan to deploy it in the next two to three years.
Leadership plays a major role in AI progress: 39 per cent of Indian executives say their leadership strongly advocates for Gen AI, while 19 per cent take a wait-and-watch approach. Employee interaction with AI is also expected to rise significantly, 25 per cent of Indian employees already work with AI systems, increasing to 43 per cent by 2026 and 58 per cent by 2028.
Furthermore, access to AI tools is growing: currently, 45 per cent of the workforce in India can use organisational AI tools, a figure projected to reach 68 per cent by 2028. Training is also scaling up, 43 per cent of Indian employees have already undergone AI training, with expectations of 56 per cent by 2026 and 68 per cent by 2028.
