Qlik released a new research paper by International Data Corporation (IDC) highlighting the rapid acceleration of Generative AI (GenAI) adoption in Asia Pacific, including India. The report reveals that AI spending in India is set to grow at 35% annually, reaching $9.2 billion by 2028, emphasising the need for better data quality, governance, and cloud migration to maximise AI’s potential.
AI investment & business transformation in India
The newly released IDC InfoBrief, commissioned by Qlik and co-sponsored by Amazon Web Services (AWS), titled “The AI Pivot: Accelerating GenAI Adoption and Unlocking Data-Driven Business Value”, Doc #AP242509IB, April 2025, found that with 36% of enterprises using GenAI and 46% planning investments within 12-24 months – the highest in APAC, India is emerging as a global AI powerhouse. However, only 22% of Indian organisations report measurable AI/ML improvements, despite leading the region. India is on par with ANZ, with 20% of organisations possessing advanced AI capabilities, though it lags behind ASEAN, where 27% have reached this stage. C-suite leaders expect a 4x ROI on AI investments within a year, signaling strong confidence in AI-driven value.
Data readiness: Key to scaling GenAI in India
The study highlights data quality as a major barrier, with 54% of Indian organisations citing it as a challenge, surpassing Australia at 40%, ASEAN at 40%, and even the APAC average of 50.4%. Additionally, 62% of Indian organisations recognise the need to improve data governance and privacy policies, while 28% struggle with AI data bias, more than ASEAN at 21.8% and Australia at 20%.
To overcome these challenges, Indian enterprises are investing in data integration, ML deployment platforms, and analytics to establish AI-ready data strategies. Strengthening data integrity, transparency, and compliance is key to successful AI adoption.
“GenAI is transforming industries in India – from compliance in retail to fraud prevention in finance and predictive maintenance in manufacturing,” said Deepika Giri, Associate Vice President, Big Data Analytics, Blockchain, and Web3 Research, IDC Asia/Pacific. “But to unlock its full potential, organisations must prioritise trusted data, robust governance, and infrastructure readiness to scale AI effectively and responsibly.”
Accelerating cloud adoption to power GenAI growth
Cloud migration is a priority, with 51% of Indian enterprises deploying AI solutions in the cloud. As AI investments grow, 80% of organisations see cloud migration as essential. India leads ASEAN in public cloud adoption, with 40% of enterprises leveraging one or more public clouds, compared to 31% in ASEAN. Additionally, 30% of organisations prefer a hybrid model, a significantly higher proportion than Australia’s 19%.
“Indian organisations see cloud adoption as a critical step toward AI success,” said Varun Babbar, Vice President, India, Qlik. “To scale AI-driven innovation, businesses need a strong, scalable data infrastructure that supports high-performance AI applications. At Qlik, we help organisations enhance data integrity, reduce bias, and strengthen compliance frameworks- ensuring AI delivers meaningful and lasting business value.
Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IndianOil), one of India’s largest public sector enterprises, is leveraging Qlik to drive data-driven decision-making at scale. Through its i-DRIVE initiative, it tracks over 3,000 KPIs and empowers 10,000 users with self-service analytics. By integrating AI/ML with Qlik’s analytics, IndianOil is enhancing predictive maintenance, optimising supply chain efficiency, and improving operational agility. With a strong focus on data integrity and governance, it is ensuring AI delivers measurable impact, fuelling innovation and sustainability in India’s energy sector.
With AI becoming central to enterprise strategy, Chief Data Officers (CDOs) and Chief Analytics Officers (CAOs) are taking on a more prominent role in shaping AI investments and governance. Organisations that empower their data leadership teams with strong governance frameworks and AI-ready data strategies will gain a competitive edge in India’s evolving AI landscape.
