As enterprises globally race to harness the power of artificial intelligence, Cisco’s third annual AI Readiness Index reveals a widening gap between the most AI-prepared organizations and those still experimenting. According to the study, a small but consistent group of leaders—dubbed Pacesetters—continue to outperform peers across every measure of AI value realization.
Surveying over 8,000 AI leaders across 30 markets and 26 industries, the report finds that 17% of Indian organizations and 13% globally fall into this Pacesetter category. These companies are three times more likely to move AI pilots into production and 72% more likely to report measurable business value.
“We’re moving past the era of question-answering chatbots and stepping into the next major phase of AI—agents that independently execute tasks,” said Jeetu Patel, President and Chief Product Officer, Cisco. “Today’s study shows that over 80% of companies are prioritizing agentic solutions, with two out of three already meeting or exceeding their performance goals. The evidence points to a massive competitive advantage for those leading the charge.”
Agentic AI on the Rise
Cisco’s report highlights that 91% of organizations plan to deploy AI agents, with 41% expecting them to work alongside employees within a year. However, many lack the secure infrastructure and centralized data architectures needed to sustain these capabilities.
Two emerging forces are shaping this next phase:
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Agentic AI – Autonomous systems that act on behalf of users and organizations, redefining scale, security, and governance requirements.
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AI Infrastructure Debt – Hidden bottlenecks such as limited GPU capacity and fragmented data environments that could erode long-term value.
The Pacesetter Playbook: Building AI Advantage
Cisco’s research identifies five pillars distinguishing AI-ready Pacesetters from their peers:
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AI as a Core Strategy, Not a Side Project
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99% of Pacesetters have a defined AI roadmap (vs 67% in India).
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91% have a change-management plan (vs 45% in India).
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79% make AI the top investment priority (vs 32% in India).
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Scalable Infrastructure
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71% say their networks can instantly scale for AI projects (vs 20% in India).
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77% plan to expand data center capacity in the next year (vs 51% in India).
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From Pilots to Production
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62% have a mature innovation process for AI scaling (vs 16% in India).
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77% have finalized use cases ready for deployment (vs 24% in India).
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Outcome Measurement and ROI Tracking
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95% track the impact of AI investments—twice the rate seen in India.
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71% are confident their AI initiatives will generate new revenue streams.
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Security as a Foundation for Trust
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87% are highly aware of AI-specific threats (vs 51% in India).
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75% are equipped to control and secure AI agents (vs 45% in India).
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The Business Impact
Pacesetters’ disciplined, system-level approach is paying off. Nine in ten report measurable improvements in profitability, productivity, and innovation, compared to 71% of organizations in India overall.
Cisco’s findings signal that the ability to scale AI securely and strategically—while integrating trust, governance, and infrastructure readiness—will define the next generation of digital leaders.
