Indian Leaders Bet on AI for Smarter Team Collaboration 90 % of leaders reported that AI tools have enhanced the quality of their team's work

Artificial Intelligence (AI) in India has reached a significant milestone, with business leaders and employees increasingly adopting AI to enhance workplace collaboration. Indian enterprise leaders have emerged as the heaviest users of AI globally, with 80 per cent reporting daily or frequent use of AI—second only to the Netherlands, where 85 per cent of leaders report similar usage. Companies leveraging AI in team workflows are witnessing positive outcomes, with 90 per cent reporting that AI tools have enhanced the quality of their team's work—exceeding the global average, according to Zoom's Morning Consult Survey.

The study also highlights differences in how leaders and employees allocate their time. Indian leaders spend more time on collaboration tasks than their employees. Sixty-two per cent of leaders reported that they could engage in more productive activities if a meeting were canceled. Additionally, 52 per cent of Indian leaders feel they are over-investing in virtual meetings, 50 per cent feel the same about in-person meetings, meanwhile 49 per cent believe emails take up too much of their time.

Notably, three in ten Indian team leaders spend an hour or more daily resolving collaboration issues, such as unclear outcomes or misunderstandings. Task-switching also emerged as a productivity drain, with 34 per cent of leaders losing focus for 10–30 minutes while transitioning between tasks. Moreover, leaders are more likely than their teams to follow up on tasks, with 43 per cent spending 30 minutes to an hour checking project statuses—compared to 38 per cent of employees.

When asked how they would prefer to spend their workday, 44 per cent of leaders expressed a desire to focus on strategic initiatives or workflow improvements. This underscores the need for efficient tools and communication strategies to free up time for high-impact work.

"India's rapid embrace of AI reflects the country's forward-thinking approach to workplace innovation. Indian leaders are already witnessing how AI can improve collaboration, save time, and enable teams to be more productive. As AI continues to reshape how teams work together, Indian businesses have the opportunity to lead the way by fully integrating AI into their workflows, addressing collaboration challenges, and building a multigenerational, future-ready workforce," said Sameer Raje, Head of India at Zoom.

Employees, too, reported significant benefits from using AI tools. An impressive 94 per cent said AI helps them save time to focus on other tasks, while the same percentage stated that AI improves communication. Additionally, 91 per cent reported that AI enhances brainstorming sessions, and 90 per cent said it improves alignment between colleagues.