(Commonwealth_India) Step into a busy office in Mumbai or Bengaluru, and you’ll notice how much the working world has changed. The receptionist no longer digs through paper files; everything is digital. A customer calling in with a query is routed to a system that seems to “know” them already. Even in hospitals, patients are spending less time in waiting rooms because smarter tools are helping staff organise care more efficiently. What once felt like a distant future has quietly become part of everyday life.
A recent global survey shows just how fast India is moving in this direction. Nearly half of the companies surveyed said they’ve already made digital tools central to their work. That’s one of the highest adoption rates anywhere in the world. But behind the excitement lies a challenge: many businesses are still unsure how to measure the real benefits of these changes, and most are trying to figure out how to keep their systems secure.
The study found that only 15 percent of Indian organisations feel confident about tracking returns on their digital investments, gathering insights from almost 1,900 IT and security leaders across the globe—including more than 300 in India. The problems are easy to see: scattered data, outdated systems that don’t always keep pace, and the ever-present risk of cyberattacks.
Even so, optimism is running high. More than half of Indian businesses said digital transformation is their number-one priority, compared with less than half globally. This shows that Indian companies aren’t just trying to keep up; they want to leap ahead. But speed comes with risks. If they don’t implement improved information management strategies and establish clear guidelines for utilising new technologies, they risk losing their momentum.
Saurabh Saxena, Regional Vice President of OpenText India, says the push is coming right from the top. Nearly six out of ten CEOs and board members already view digital technologies as vital, far ahead of peers in places like the UK and France. The ambition is unmistakable, he says, but turning ambition into reality will take stronger foundations—tidier data, smarter systems, and tougher safeguards.
It’s also clear that Indian leaders are alert to the risks. Almost half of those surveyed pointed to privacy concerns, and many worried about hidden biases creeping into the systems they use. That shows a healthy balance: while they’re excited about change, they also know it has to be handled with care.
Look around and you can already see the impact. A student in Bengaluru applies for a loan online and gets an answer in minutes, not days. A customer in Delhi opens their favourite store’s app and finds suggestions that feel surprisingly personal. These everyday moments add up to something bigger: a country brimming with energy, optimism, and ambition.
The message from the survey is simple. India is moving fast, but to make this transformation last, businesses need to slow down just enough to get the basics right. Cleaner data, stronger security, and smarter governance will ensure that today’s bold vision doesn’t just make headlines; it builds a future that endures.
