India and Singapore Lead the Global Shift Towards Agentic AI

In partnership with

The Future of AI in Marketing. Your Shortcut to Smarter, Faster Marketing.

Unlock a focused set of AI strategies built to streamline your work and maximize impact. This guide delivers the practical tactics and tools marketers need to start seeing results right away:

• 7 high-impact AI strategies to accelerate your marketing performance

• Practical use cases for content creation, lead gen, and personalization

• Expert insights into how top marketers are using AI today

• A framework to evaluate and implement AI tools efficiently

Stay ahead of the curve with these top strategies AI helped develop for marketers, built for real-world results.

Download the Free Report

Asian markets are rapidly pulling ahead of their Western counterparts in the adoption and monetisation of artificial intelligence (AI), with India and Singapore emerging as global leaders in what experts describe as the next phase of AI evolution: agentic AI. New research from technology consultancy Thoughtworks reveals that organisations across Asia are moving beyond cost-cutting use cases and are instead leveraging AI as a core driver of revenue growth, innovation, and job creation.

The study surveyed 3,500 IT decision-makers and C-suite executives worldwide and found a decisive shift in how businesses view AI. Around 77% of global leaders reported that their AI strategies have evolved from a focus on operational efficiency to enabling long-term growth and innovation. Thoughtworks describes this as the end of the “era of efficiency” and the beginning of a more expansive, growth-oriented AI mindset.

Asia’s Faster Transition to AI-Led Growth

While the global shift towards revenue-generating AI is clear, the pace of adoption varies significantly by region. Asian markets, particularly India and Singapore, are moving faster and with greater confidence than Europe, North America, and Australia.

India has emerged as the most aggressive adopter of growth-focused AI strategies. Alongside Brazil, India ranks as the most optimistic market surveyed, with nearly half (49.2%) of executives expecting AI to deliver more than a 15% uplift in revenue over the next five years. In comparison, only 28.8% of German executives and 20% of Australian leaders expect similar gains. On a global scale, nearly half of all respondents believe AI will generate more than 15% revenue growth within the next decade.

This optimism is closely linked to what the study describes as “AI FOMO” — the fear of missing out on competitive advantage. Singapore tops the global list, with 66% of executives reporting strong pressure to adopt AI rapidly. India follows closely at 62.8%, highlighting the intense competitive environment in these markets and the belief that delayed adoption could result in lost market position.

The Rise of Agentic AI

A key differentiator between fast-moving regions and slower adopters is the focus on agentic AI. Unlike traditional AI systems that assist or automate tasks, agentic AI systems are capable of autonomous decision-making and action, operating with minimal human intervention.

Globally, 35% of business leaders identify agentic AI as a top strategic priority. However, India once again leads the world, with 48.6% of organisations placing agentic AI at the centre of their future plans. Singapore follows at 40.8%, ahead of the UK (40%) and well above the US, where only 28% of organisations prioritise agentic AI.

Within the Asia-Pacific region, Australia stands out for lagging behind its peers. Just 23.4% of Australian organisations reported a strong focus on agentic AI, indicating a more cautious or conservative approach compared to neighbouring markets.

AI and Job Creation in Asia

Contrary to widespread concerns that AI adoption will lead to job losses, the Thoughtworks research highlights a more positive employment outlook in Asian technology hubs. India leads the world in AI-driven job creation, with 57.1% of organisations reporting a net increase in roles due to human-AI collaboration.

This trend suggests that AI in these markets is being deployed to augment human capabilities rather than replace them, creating new roles in areas such as AI governance, model training, oversight, and strategic implementation.

The Growing Role of the Chief AI Officer

The study also points to a major shift in corporate governance, particularly in India, where the role of Chief AI Officer (CAIO) is becoming increasingly prominent. India has the highest prevalence of CAIOs globally, and among organisations that have created the role, 72% report that the CAIO holds distinct budget authority and clear accountability for return on investment.

Shayan Mohanty, Chief AI Officer at Thoughtworks, emphasised that this role is no longer experimental. “The CAIO sits at the centre of strategy,” he said. “The companies pulling ahead are those that treat AI as foundational infrastructure rather than a side initiative.”

Regulation and Governance as Enablers

Regulatory environments also appear to influence the speed of AI adoption. While countries such as Brazil report high regulatory pressure — with 28% of leaders citing regulation as a major barrier — India faces significantly fewer constraints. Only 9.6% of Indian executives identified regulation as a primary obstacle to realising AI’s potential, enabling faster experimentation and deployment.

Rachel Laycock, Chief Technology Officer at Thoughtworks, noted that organisations are undergoing a structural change in how they plan for growth. “Leaders are no longer asking how efficient they can become,” she said. “They are asking how expansive they can be.”

Supporting this view, a separate global study by the Cloud Security Alliance and Google Cloud found that organisations with comprehensive AI governance policies are nearly twice as likely to adopt agentic AI early compared to those with partial or undeveloped guidelines. These organisations are also far more likely to test AI for security and operational resilience.

Conclusion