Around 73% of Indian Enterprises Plan to Harness GenAI in the Next 12 Months: Report

Tenable recently published a new study revealing that 73% of organisations in India plan to harness generative AI (GenAI) within the next 12 months to enhance security measures and align IT objectives with broader business goals. 

Despite this surge in adoption, the study also reveals a worrying trend, as only 8% of organisations demonstrate high confidence in effectively implementing GenAI technologies.

Key Challenges and Concerns

The study identified two major challenges hindering Indian organisations from utilising or optimising AI technologies: a lack of technological maturity (71%) and uncertainty about the applicability of AI within their operations (54%). 

These issues are compounded by concerns over security risks, with 40% of organisations perceiving GenAI as a greater security threat than an opportunity. Internal misuse of GenAI and risks associated with providing sensitive data to open-source GenAI platforms are also significant concerns, with 67% and 60% of respondents respectively highlighting these issues.

Broader Context and Additional Insights

The findings from Tenable align with broader trends observed in the Indian AI landscape. According to a report by EY, generative AI is poised to reshape industries by revolutionizing operating models and transforming value chains. 

However, the need for better preparation and a strategic approach to digital transformation is critical for Indian enterprises to fully leverage GenAI's potential. Furthermore, a survey by Deloitte highlights that India ranks first in the adoption of generative AI technology across the Asia Pacific region, driven by tech-savvy young employees. 

This robust adoption presents new challenges and opportunities for employers as they adapt to these changes.

Potential Benefits and Optimism

Despite the challenges, cybersecurity and IT leaders in India are optimistic about the potential benefits of generative AI. They see opportunities for improvement in several key areas:

• Preventive Threat Response: 31% believe generative AI can enhance preventive threat response.
• Automation of Security Measures: 42% think it can automate security measures.
• Improvement in Actionability: 40% feel it can improve actionability.

These benefits are contingent on the quality of the data used to train AI models, with 73% of Indian organisations agreeing that the success of generative AI heavily relies on the data used to fuel it.

Strategic Focus and Future Directions

To harness the full potential of AI, Indian organisations are focusing on areas such as training and upskilling cybersecurity professionals (63%), implementing automated reporting and alerting systems (46%), and improving fraud detection capabilities (46%). This strategic focus is essential as generative AI continues to evolve and integrate deeper into business operations.