INDIA: India is emerging as an early signal market for the future of workforce and internal communication, according to a new study released under the Nexticshift initiative, which argues that the country is beginning to shape trends other markets will face next.

The report challenges the assumption that Indian internal communication practices merely follow western models. Instead, it finds that India’s scale, speed and pressure-filled operating environment are pushing organisations to adopt more pragmatic, outcome-driven approaches, accelerated by artificial intelligence and demographic change.

With an estimated workforce of nearly 640 million, larger than that of the EU, the US and the UK combined, India represents one of the world’s most complex communication environments. Fewer legacy systems, a younger workforce and rapid, necessity-led AI adoption are reshaping how organisations connect people, priorities and purpose.

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The study is based on a five-city listening tour conducted across Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Pune in November and December 2025. Researchers held 60 in-depth conversations with chief communication officers, senior internal communication leaders, global capability centre executives, academics and practitioners.

The report was led by Europe-based practitioner Mike Klein, and Ambuj Dixit, based in Mumbai, drawing on nearly five decades of combined experience across corporate, agency and consulting roles.

Its central finding is that intensifying commercial and delivery pressures, combined with limited budgets and resources are forcing internal communication teams to prioritise effectiveness over activity. The function is shifting away from culture-building alone towards enabling clarity, coordination and risk management across large, fast-moving organisations.

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As AI compresses timelines and accelerates decision-making, the value of internal communication is increasingly measured by outcomes rather than volume. Routine work is being automated, freeing teams to focus on sharper leadership messaging and more memorable communication as competition for employee attention rises.

“India offers a compressed view of the conditions many organisations globally are only beginning to experience,” said Klein. “That makes it an important place to understand where internal communication is heading.”

“This research is not about best practices or benchmarks,” said Nexticshift co-founder Dixit. “It is about listening carefully to practitioners and recognising how the function is being reshaped by real operating pressure.”

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Positioned as an industry resource rather than a prescriptive playbook, the report argues that internal communication is becoming a strategic capability, central to organisational resilience and performance, rather than a support function focused on managing employee sentiment.