AI Coding Tools Deliver Multiple Benefits to Developers, but Company Adoption Lags in India: GitHub Report

 GitHub recently released new research highlighting how software professionals are putting AI coding tools to use, and the impact it’s having on their teams, code, and organisations. The survey reveals that 81% of developers in India have experienced a perceived increase in code quality due to AI coding tools, however, only 40% say their companies are actively encouraging the use of AI coding tools.

Around 66% of respondents in the survey believe these tools will enhance their ability to meet customer requirements, among other benefits.

“The potential of AI-driven software development is undeniable; however, individual AI usage isn't enough. Organisations need to operationalise AI throughout the software development lifecycle to boost collaboration, creativity, and modernisation," Kyle Daigle, chief operating officer at GitHub, said.

The survey of 2,000 software professionals–which includes 500 respondents each across India, the U.S., Brazil, and Germany at organisations with 1,000 or more employees–identified several key benefits that respondents associate with using AI coding tools in software development. 

Key insights from respondents in India include:

• Respondents anticipate AI will enhance code security and development efficiency. There is universal anticipation (100%) among survey respondents in India that AI coding tools will improve code security. Notably, the highest expectation of a “significant improvement” across all respondents globally was in India, with 41% expressing this view. 
  
• Improve ability to meet customer requirements. The majority of respondents in India (66%) expressed optimism about the potential of AI coding tools to moderately improve or significantly enhance their ability to meet customer requirements. This trend was consistent across various industries, suggesting a widespread expectation of benefits from generative AI.
  
• Easier to work with new programming languages, and understand existing codebases. A large portion (69%) of respondents in India reported that these tools make it "easy" to adopt a new programming language or understand an existing codebase. Notably, 28% of those in India highlighted that AI coding tools made it "very easy" for them to adopt a new programming language or understand an existing codebase.
  
• Test case generation. 99% of respondents in India stated their organisations have experimented with using AI coding tools to generate test cases. The majority (75%) of respondents reported their organisations use AI tools for test generation at least "sometimes." 
  
• Proficiency in AI coding tools is seen as a major asset by job seekers. Nearly all respondents in India (99%) believe this skill makes them more attractive candidates, underlining the growing importance of AI across various fields. Notably, 56% in India believe this expertise significantly boosts their employability. 

Despite the reported benefits of AI coding tools by a high portion of respondents in India, a smaller percentage said their companies are actively encouraging adoption or allowing the use of AI tools, highlighting room for progress. In fact:

• 99% of respondents surveyed in India reported using AI coding at work at some point.
  
• In contrast, a much smaller percentage (40%) of respondents in India said their companies actively encourage and promote AI tool adoption.
  
• An additional 39% of respondents in India report that their organisations allow the use of these tools but offer limited encouragement. To maximise the benefits of these tools, organisations should have a roadmap, a clear strategy, and policies in place to ensure wider adoption happens through building trust and driving measurable performance metrics.