In 2026, India’s largest firms deployed autonomous AI agents, with 45% of companies reporting full integration, a McKinsey survey revealed. The shift follows a wave of investment that saw 65% of firms testing the technology earlier in the year.
Agentic AI— a network of autonomous agents that plan, decide and execute tasks with minimal human oversight— is reshaping core functions. Among businesses with revenue above $1 billion, 40% have already rolled out agents, while only 22% of small firms have begun testing.
Yet expertise gaps and ROI concerns loom. A Deloitte survey of 200 Indian professionals found none rated their agentic AI expertise as ‘very high,’ compared with 2.6% globally, and only 37% believe the technology has boosted earnings.
Sectoral uptake varies: technology professionals report 31% adoption, followed by IT, knowledge management, and marketing. Companies anticipate an average return of $14.4 million over the next two years, according to SAP and Oxford Economics.