A new report from Salesforce reveals a dramatic shift underway in India’s HR landscape, as organizations prepare for a surge in agentic AI adoption — intelligent digital agents that work alongside humans. Indian HR leaders anticipate a 383% growth in AI agent adoption by 2027, transforming the nature of work, boosting productivity by 41.7%, and reshaping workforce strategies.
 

The study, which surveyed 200 global HR executives, shows that digital labor is fast becoming a core business strategy, not just a tech trend. In India, 85% of HR leaders expect their workforce to be made up of both humans and AI agents within five years. However, just 12% of organizations have fully implemented agentic AI, and 63% of HR chiefs say employees still don’t understand how it will affect their roles.

“We’re in the midst of a once-in-a-lifetime transformation of work with digital labor that is unlocking new levels of productivity, autonomy, and agency at a speed never before thought possible,” said Nathalie Scardino, President and Chief People Officer at Salesforce.

HR leaders are already planning major workforce shifts. Nearly a quarter (24.7%) of employees are expected to be redeployed into new roles, particularly in areas like governance, compliance, and technical functions. To manage the transition, 88% of CHROs are reskilling workers or planning to do so — seeing it as more cost-effective than external hiring.

As AI becomes embedded in business functions, R&D (59%) and IT (51%) departments are expected to grow. HR leaders also believe soft skills will be more critical than ever, with 81% saying relationship-building and collaboration will gain importance as employees and AI agents work side by side.

While the opportunity is vast, the report highlights a gap in readiness. Most Indian organizations are still in the early phases of digital labor transformation, underscoring the need for urgent upskilling, strategic redeployment, and greater AI literacy across the workforce.

For More information:

• Read about Salesforce’s strategy for agentic AI adoption
• Find more data about agentic AI on the Salesforce Stat Library

 
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