Industry Odisha Bureau, Sep 24: AI is lifting productivity in Indian workplaces, employees say. Many also report heavier workloads and wider responsibilities. The gains and pressures appear to be arriving together, a survey suggests.
Artificial intelligence is reshaping how work gets done across India Inc. Employees say the technology is making them faster and more productive. Many also say they now have significantly more work.
That tension sits at the heart of Korn Ferry’s Workforce 2026 India findings. The survey suggests AI productivity gains and heavier workloads can rise together.
AI Delivers an Efficiency Dividend
The upside is broad. About 81% of respondents said AI had improved their efficiency. Some 79% reported higher productivity than a year earlier. And 80% said technology had created more opportunities to innovate.
These are self-reported views, not audited output measures. An 81% share does not mean efficiency rose by 81%. Still, the direction of employee sentiment is clear.
Productivity Gains Bring More Tasks
The same survey reveals the cost side. About 78% said their workload had increased significantly over the past two years. That figure alone does not prove AI caused all the added pressure.
The link becomes more direct in another finding. Some 73% said AI had increased the number of tasks expected in their role. The two measures overlap, but they are not the same.
One Employee, Wider Responsibilities
Job scope also appears to be stretching. About 72% said they perform responsibilities spanning more than one role. That does not mean they hold multiple formal jobs. It suggests roles inside corporate India are broadening. The survey offers no data on headcount or hiring.
AI Changes the Meaning of Workplace Efficiency
The findings raise a deeper workplace question. What happens to the time AI saves?
One reading is that efficiency creates organisational capacity. That capacity may then be filled with new tasks and expectations. This is an interpretation, not a finding from the survey. The data does not establish employer intent.
It shows only that productivity and workload are rising side by side. Higher productivity, in other words, has not meant lighter workloads for many.
Innovation Remains Part of the Upside
The picture is not only about pressure. The 80% innovation finding points to value beyond routine efficiency. It reflects perceived opportunity, not measured innovation output.
Navnit Singh, Korn Ferry’s chairman and regional managing director for India, is upbeat. He said India has moved past asking whether AI works. “The evidence suggests it does,” he added. He pointed to employees embracing AI and finding room to innovate.
India Stands Out on Global Comparisons
India scored above the global average on several measures, Korn Ferry said. The reported findings, however, do not detail the global figures. The size of India’s lead therefore cannot be judged.
AI is lifting efficiency across India Inc, by employees’ own account. It is also widening what each role is expected to deliver. Neither trend makes AI simply good or bad for workers. The challenge for employers is managing both at once.
