Brands
Adobe study: Indian brands lead in generative AI, transforming team structures
Mumbai: Adobe released the Digital Trends 2024 Asia Pacific and Japan (APJ) report indicating how Indian brands are embracing the generative AI deployment. Brands across the Asia Pacific and Japan region are set to make major near-term organisational changes to scale up adoption, revealing a dynamic shift in the region’s digital landscape. As per the findings of the report, Indian brands are leading the charge, showcasing their exceptional data capabilities and unwavering commitment to governance frameworks. These strengths are driving their prominent position in the adoption of generative AI, setting them apart as pioneers in technological innovation. The report also highlights India’s role in shaping the future of AI, emphasising its influence in advancing industry standards and ensuring the ethical use of emerging technologies.
According to executives among Indian brands, 52 per cent leverage data and algorithms to deliver personalised website experiences, the highest in the region. Additionally, 38 per cent employ generative AI to craft customized emails, messages, and other content, further demonstrating their leadership.
Stage of generative AI adoption within the organisation according to senior executives
(evaluation vs implementation of full or initial solutions/pilots)
However, while executives are confident their generative AI rollouts are advancing to plan, many day-to-day users hold a different view. Across APJ, just 4 per cent of executives say their organisation doesn’t have a formal generative AI adoption strategy, which rises substantially among practitioners. In India, 45 per cent of Indian organizations have generative AI solutions in place and are assessing their effectiveness, while 27 per cent have pilots underway.
Agree that no formal generative AI adoption strategy exists
(senior executives vs practitioners)
“Indian brands are confidently deploying generative AI while enhancing their productivity on a larger scale. This innovation offers a distinct path to integrate data, anticipate customer needs, and provide more targeted and timely content delivery. However, despite a broad desire for adoption, only a few brands are adjusting their strategies to fully leverage these benefits. Those at the forefront are leading with higher consumer loyalty, efficient conversion, and trust,” said Adobe India’s director of marketing Anindita Veluri.
As a leader in AI and a trusted partner, Adobe is working closely with brands across Asia Pacific as they transition generative AI initiatives from experimentation into enterprise-level deployment. By integrating generative AI into the Adobe apps that marketers already use including Adobe Acrobat, Adobe Photoshop and apps within Adobe Experience Platform, it can more easily be adopted into exiting workflows, all in a commercially safe way, backed by enterprise-grade security, privacy and compliance.
The report confirms that among APJ brands, generative AI integration is a key digital initiative that is most likely to support brand growth in 2024. As a result, most brands are developing guidelines for responsible use of AI (73 per cent) and aligning a comprehensive AI roadmap with broader business goals (71 per cent). In India, 70 per cent of senior executives feel well-prepared to implement governance and ethical guidelines for generative AI, and 58 per cent are actively investing in governance frameworks—14 percentage points above the APJ average.
Brands to adapt organisation structures, skills and data capabilities for AI era
Brands anticipate significant changes to operating models and organisational structures to support generative AI adoption. By the end of 2024, Indian brands plan to leverage generative AI extensively for content production, demonstrating their commitment to enhancing digital customer experiences. Specifically, 80 per cent of Indian brands expect to use generative AI for idea creation and concepting, allowing skilled employees to finalize these concepts. Additionally, 76 per cent aim to utilize generative AI to auto-update live content—ranking highest globally—and to adapt existing content for different audiences, products, and regions.
Changes to organisational structures expected by mid-to-end of 2024 to support generative AI adoption
Executives are also prioritising initiatives to help employees upskill and provide clear guardrails for using generative AI. The top-rated is advanced AI skills training for key staff (47 per cent), followed by policies for ethical and secure generative AI usage (45 per cent).
Over two-thirds of APJ brands also believe that generative AI will transform data analytics and management more than any other part of the organisation. They also recognise that data capabilities and governance are a cornerstone capability, with most planning to increase investment in customer data management in 2024. Within APJ, this is highest in India (75 per cent).
Sub-regional highlights and comparisons
Brands
33 per cent of women believe the salary scale is rigged: Naukri report
Voices @ Work study finds rising calls for equal pay audits and lingering bias
MUMBAI: Progress may be visible in India’s workplaces, but many women still feel the need to tread carefully. A new report by Naukri reveals that one in two women hesitate to disclose marriage or maternity plans during job interviews, worried that such information could influence hiring decisions.
The findings come from the second edition of Naukri’s annual Voices @ Work International Women’s Day report, titled “What Women Professionals Want.” Drawing insights from more than 50,000 women across over 50 industries, the survey sheds light on evolving workplace aspirations alongside the biases that continue to hold women back.
One of the report’s most striking insights is the growing demand for equal pay audits. The share of women calling for regular pay parity checks has climbed to 27 per cent this year, up from 19 per cent a year ago. The demand now stands alongside menstrual leave as the most sought after workplace policy.
Interestingly, the call for pay transparency grows louder higher up the income ladder. Nearly half of women earning between Rs 50 lakh and Rs 1 crore annually say equal pay audits are a priority, suggesting that pay gaps become more visible as women move up the career ladder.
At the same time, confidence and ambition appear to be rising. About 83 per cent of women say they feel encouraged to pursue leadership roles, a significant jump from 66 per cent last year. Cities in southern India appear particularly supportive, with Hyderabad leading the way as 86 per cent of respondents there reported encouragement to step into leadership positions. The education sector recorded the highest sense of encouragement at 87 per cent.
Yet the report also highlights a growing trust deficit around pay equity. Nearly one in three women, or 33 per cent, say they do not believe men and women are paid equally at their workplace. That figure has risen from 25 per cent last year, pointing to widening perceptions of disparity as careers progress.
Bias in hiring and promotions continues to be the biggest hurdle. About 42 per cent of respondents say workplace bias is the main challenge for women from diverse backgrounds. The concern is consistent across major metros, with Chennai and Delhi NCR reporting similar levels.
Reluctance to discuss personal milestones during hiring processes is also widespread. While 34 per cent overall said they hesitate to share marriage or maternity plans in interviews, the anxiety increases with experience. Among professionals with 10 to 15 years of work experience, the figure rises to 40 per cent.
Info Edge group CMO Sumeet Singh, said the data reflects both progress and unfinished work. “Behind every data point in this report is a woman who is ambitious. The fact that 83 per cent feel encouraged to lead is something to celebrate. However, the fact that one in two still hide their marriage or maternity plans in interviews tells us the work is far from done. As India’s leading career platform, it felt not just important but necessary for us to shine a light on these gaps through the second edition of our report,” he said.
The report suggests that while ambition among women professionals is growing, structural changes around pay transparency, fair hiring and supportive policies will be key if workplaces hope to keep pace.
