Indian Enterprises Put Key AI Roles in the Leadership Table: IBM Study While 25 per cent of Indian enterprises surveyed currently have a CAIO, 67 per cent of them aim to have one within the next two years, demonstrating India's growing appetite for aligning a leader to direct AI strategy that drives measurable outcomes

Indian enterprises are building strong momentum in AI leadership, with Chief AI Officers (CAIOs) emerging as a key driver of strategy and execution, according to a new study by the IBM Institute for Business Value. With CAIOs taking a strategic seat at the leadership table, Indian enterprises are combining technical depth with executive expertise to accelerate AI adoption.

The study finds that 77 per cent of CAIOs in India report strong C-suite support (including 67 per cent reporting CEO support), reflecting strong organizational alignment to scale AI effectively. Furthermore, while 25 per cent of Indian enterprises surveyed currently have a CAIO, 67 per cent of them aim to have one within the next two years, demonstrating India's growing appetite for aligning a leader to direct AI strategy that drives measurable outcomes.

This momentum is backed by impact, as globally organizations with a CAIO see a 10 per cent higher return on investment (ROI) on AI spend, underscoring the value of strong AI leadership and strategic alignment in driving business results.

"As Indian enterprises move from pilots to scaled AI adoption, the role of the CAIOs will be central to their AI transformation journeys. CAIOs will not only bridge the gap between business and technology but also set the strategic direction and keep teams aligned on shared goals," said Viswanath Ramaswamy, Vice President, Technology, IBM India & South Asia. "To succeed, CAIOs must develop a clear transformation roadmap with measurable KPIs, foster alignment with the C-suite on business priorities and focus on initiatives that deliver a sustainable and competitive edge."

Other key findings for India suggest that 80 per cent CAIOs are consulted by other CXOs on important AI decisions. 57 per cent of Indian CAIOs were appointed internally, highlighting the development of AI leadership talent from within enterprises. 60 per cent of CAIOs report directly to either the CEO or the Board of Directors.

Indian CAIOs are taking on comprehensive responsibilities spanning strategy, directing technical implementation, managing budgets and upskilling talent. The study found that the top three responsibilities of Indian CAIOs were, defining the organization's AI strategy (70 per cent), developing change management strategy for AI adoption (57 per cent), and directing implementation of AI (57 per cent). These figures are, on average, 10 percentage points higher than global respondents, suggesting that Indian CAIOs place greater emphasis on these areas and are scaling AI more rapidly than their global peers.

Interestingly, many CAIOs are also overseeing upskilling (43 per cent) and reskilling (37 per cent) of employees in AI. 60 per cent stated that their AI budget is controlled by the CAIO, strengthening accountability.

In terms of technical depth, 70 per cent of Indian CAIOs have a background in data, aligned with global counterparts. 73 per cent come from technology roles while 50 per cent have an innovation background, reinforcing their ability to lead transformation agendas.

While 67 per cent of Indian organizations are still primarily investing in AI pilots, the combination of strong leadership support and CAIOs' strategic orientation will provide a strong foundation for accelerating scaled AI adoption. Only 18 per cent of Indian CAIOs find AI implementation very difficult (versus 30 per cent globally), reflecting a more optimistic execution environment.

AI solutions provider Findability Sciences believes AI succeeds when someone truly owns it, and that's what the CAIO brings to the table. "In organizations we work with, CAIOs are turning AI from a technology project into a growth engine. The IBM study highlights a new reality: Indian enterprises now view AI as central to competitiveness, not a peripheral experiment. Strategic AI leadership is no longer a trend; it's a business imperative," said Anand Mahurkar, Founder and CEO, Findability Sciences.