India leads globally on ‘AI Advantage’ at work; 86% employees cite positive impact of GenAI on productivity: EY 2025 Work Reimagined Survey

• India leads the ‘AI Advantage’ score at 53, well above the global average of 34
• India also holds a Talent Health score of 82, the highest among all geographies assessed
• 75% employees and 72% employers believe that GenAI enhances decision making
• 84% employees report feeling trusted and empowered at the workplace

Delhi | 22 December 2025: India’s workforce is experiencing one of its most significant shifts in years, driven by rapid GenAI adoption and rising expectations around work, rewards and culture, according to the EY 2025 Work Reimagined Survey. The report shows that India is among the highest AI adopters globally, and leads with 53 points on the ‘AI Advantage’ score, developed to quantify the real impact of AI at work by measuring how much time employees save, while the global average score sits at 34 points.

The survey, now in its sixth edition, draws insights from 15,000 employees and 1,500 employers across 29 markets globally. In India, where 800 employees and 50 employers were surveyed, a strong environment supports employee engagement and resilience in the changing AI landscape. Around 62% Indians are using GenAI at work regularly, whereas 90% employers and 86% employees believe that AI impacts productivity positively. 75% employees and 72% employers believe that GenAI enhances decision making, 82% employees and 92% employers believe it positively impacts quality of work.

India also holds a Talent Health score of 82, the highest among all geographies assessed. This score measures employee sentiment regarding culture, rewards, and development, areas that collectively form the foundation of Talent Health. The global average Talent Health score stands at 65 out of 100, with culture accounting for 44%, rewards 32% and development 24%.

Commenting on the findings, Anurag Malik, Partner and National Leader – People Consulting, EY India said, “India has made strong strides in AI adoption, and organizations are taking a more intentional approach to balancing productivity, skills, and employee experience. Technology, including AI, is increasingly shaping how work gets done, but the real impact comes from how employers are using it to strengthen talent health, capability, and workforce resilience. The findings show that when organizations invest in skills, provide clarity around role evolution, and adopt technology responsibly, employees are more engaged and confident about the future. Those that build AI capability at the individual level while keeping people at the centre are best positioned to develop a future-ready workforce and sustain long-term performance.”

Key findings from the survey

AI adoption and workforce impact

India continues to be one of the fastest adopters of GenAI globally, with workforce reporting positive gains in productivity, decision-making and quality of output. The findings also reveal how employers and employees view AI governance. 94% employers and 89% employees consistently report higher levels of confidence across ethical and responsible AI, explainability of AI systems (88% vs. 83%), data usage and confidentiality (90% vs. 82%) and ownership and accountability (90% vs. 86%).

Rewards: Aligning pay priorities with evolving skill needs

Rewards remain a core driver of talent health globally, contributing roughly 32% to the overall score. Employees in India continue to prioritise fundamentals such as bonuses (40%), flexible schedules (33%), cost-of-living aligned compensation (32%), and wellbeing benefits (31%). Employers, however, are placing almost equal emphasis on AI skill-building resources (34%) alongside bonuses (35%) and flexibility (33%).

Culture, work environment and leadership

Culture continues to be a key contributor to talent health, accounting for around 44% of the overall score. The survey findings suggest improvement in India’s workplace culture with 84% employees feeling trusted and empowered by management, and 86% reporting strong connection with their teams, broadly in line with employer views. Among employees, half (50%) say culture at their organization is “somewhat better” and another 30% describe it as “significantly better,” pointing to gradual progress in collaboration, leadership behaviours, and team cohesion.

Learning, skills and the future of work

While both 87% employees and 90% employers in India say learning new skills is essential—actual learning hours remain limited. Most employees globally report spending fewer than 40 hours a year on AI learning. The data makes a compelling case for structured skilling: employees who invest more time in AI learning show markedly lower intent to leave. Higher learning hours also translate directly into more hours saved per week, reinforcing the productivity impact of continuous skill development.

To help enterprises build critical AI capabilities, EY recently launched AI Academy, offering hands-on learning from foundational AI to advanced GenAI applications, with 200+ real-world, industry-tailored use cases. After upskilling 44,000 employees internally, EY India is now extending this expertise to organisations across Telecom, Infrastructure, Banking, IT/ITeS, and FMCG through customised, project-based programs.

About EY

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