Nearly two-thirds of Indian organisations are approaching or have achieved their current artificial intelligence goals, while businesses increasingly link digital transformation and sustainability with long-term growth, according to Autodesk’s 2026 State of Design & Make report.
The survey found that 64% of Indian respondents were nearing or had achieved their AI goals. Meanwhile, 88% expected AI to enhance their industries, up from 78% in 2025, and 90% believed it would make their industries more creative, compared with 80% a year earlier.
AI adoption is extending into operational workflows, with 57% of organisations integrating it into design processes such as generative design, simulation and content creation. Another 44% were implementing AI-driven automation. To support adoption, 58% were investing in AI training and development, while 37% were hiring for AI-specific skills.
“India’s AI journey is entering a more practical phase. Businesses are moving beyond asking what AI can do to focusing on where it can create real value, from improving productivity and accelerating innovation to helping teams make better decisions,” said Haresh Khoobchandani, APAC and Japan Vice President at Autodesk.
He said organisations would need connected data, appropriate skills and the ability to integrate AI into existing workflows to translate adoption into sustained business outcomes.
The report also found that 30% of Indian organisations prioritised digital transformation and were investing aggressively, up from 28% in 2025. A further 45% said they had implemented initiatives and made substantial progress.
Among the reported benefits, 48% cited increased innovation and improvements in ideas or designs, up from 39% in 2025. Another 43% said digital transformation had improved planning and decision-making, compared with 32% a year earlier. However, the proportion reporting improved productivity fell to 48% from 51%, while those citing improved profitability declined to 42% from 47%.
Skills shortages remain a constraint. Forty per cent of respondents cited a lack of technical knowledge or skills to implement digital solutions, while 36% pointed to a shortage of trained or skilled workers. The ability to implement or work with AI was the leading hiring priority, cited by 57% of respondents, followed by data safety and security skills at 49%.
The report also examined the relationship between sustainability and business performance. Some 86% of Indian respondents expected sustainability measures to generate more than 5% of annual revenue in long-term business value, including 33% who anticipated an impact of at least 10%.
Half of the organisations surveyed said they had used AI to improve sustainability, while 47% had invested in more energy-efficient processes or machinery and 40% had adopted circular practices involving recycled materials. A further 83% said sustainability initiatives made their companies more competitive.
The report draws on responses from 462 people in India across architecture, engineering, construction and operations; design and manufacturing; and media and entertainment. The sample included 163 respondents from architecture, engineering, construction and operations, 144 from design and manufacturing, and 155 from media and entertainment.
The findings indicate growing confidence in AI and digital technologies among Indian organisations, while skills gaps and the uneven results reported across productivity and profitability remain challenges to turning investment into business outcomes.
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