City
Epaper

Indian firms more agile and AI optimistic despite pay challenges: Report

By IANS | Updated: April 7, 2026 18:05 IST

New Delhi, April 7 Indian companies are far ahead of global peers on organisational agility, restructuring plans and ...

Open in App

New Delhi, April 7 Indian companies are far ahead of global peers on organisational agility, restructuring plans and AI adoption, but leaders must also focus on fair pay to retain talent, a report said on Tuesday.

The report from Mercer said 54 per cent of C-suite leaders in India expect AI’s primary role to be transforming the business and driving innovation in the next two years compared to 42 per cent globally. Further, 66 per cent of HR leaders planned work redesign to achieve optimal human-machine capability.

The report, based on nearly 12,000 global respondents including 650 from India, revealed that 80 per cent of India’s C-suite plan to simplify reporting lines, significantly ahead of the global average of 59 per cent, while 76 per cent intend to flatten hierarchies, compared to 44 per cent globally.

Around 64 per cent Indian respondents expect to create self-organising teams, versus 49 per cent globally. Overall agility scores in India are also marked higher, with 48 per cent rating their agility as high compared to just 29 per cent worldwide, particularly in business agility at 52 per cent and product agility at 42 per cent.

Gen Z accounted for 43 per cent of India’s workforce compared to 33 per cent globally.

Meanwhile, 54 per cent employees cited pay as the top reason for plans to leave the organisation, even while Indian employees place exceptional value on purpose.

Around 74 per cent respondents said working for an organisation with a purpose they are proud of helps them thrive, compared to 42 per cent globally.

Around 44 per cent of employees felt their pay to be unfair. “The drive for fair and competitive compensation is also evident in employees' desire for internal equity, with 37 per cent wanting assurance that they are paid the same as peers for similar work,” the report said.

To address this challenge, HR leaders in India are significantly more likely than their global peers to plan to address pay equity gaps between recent hires and longer-tenured employees in 2026, the report noted.

Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor

Open in App

Related Stories

International'Hatred and violence never win; courage always prevails': Priyanka Gandhi hails Iran

InternationalFS Vikram Misri begins US visit to deepen strategic partnership

InternationalNew Zealand, Malaysia welcome cessation of US-Iran hotilities

National'Hatred and violence never win; courage always prevails': Priyanka Gandhi hails Iran

EntertainmentManoj Bajpayee shares throwback pics on RGV's birthday, calls their journey "unforgettable"

Business Realted Stories

BusinessHDFC Bank New Rates: EMIs to Ease for Short-Term Borrowers As Lender Cuts MCLR

BusinessIndian stock market surges over 3 pc over Iran ceasefire, Sensex jumps 2,775 points

BusinessStock Market Today: Sensex Jumps 2,500 Points Higher, Nifty Up 750 Points After US-Iran Ceasefire Deal

BusinessPM Modi highlights 11 years of PMMY, calls it a boost to self-employment among youth

BusinessS. Korea posts largest-ever current account surplus in Feb on chip upcycle