The AI Divide: Is Your Indian Business a Leader or a Laggard in 2026?

 



Imagine two businesses on the same street in Mumbai.

One is run the old way. The owner works hard, knows his customers, and things are… okay.

The owner of the business next door also works hard. But he has a secret weapon. He has an assistant who can predict what customers will want next week, instantly spot problems in his supply chain before they happen, and handle thousands of customer queries with a personal touch, all at the same time.

That super-assistant is Artificial Intelligence. And it’s no longer a fantasy.

Right now, across India, a deep divide is forming. It’s not between big and small companies, or old and new ones. It’s a divide between those who see AI as just another piece of software, and those who understand it’s a completely new way to do business.

The coming 18 months will decide which side you are on. By 2026, it may be too late to switch.

This isn't a tech problem. It's a leadership challenge.

The Big Misunderstanding: It's Not About Buying AI

Many leaders think this is about buying expensive AI tools. It’s not. A laggard buys a tool. A leader builds a strategy.

  • An AI Laggard asks: "Which AI software should we buy?" They dabble in a few projects, see them as a cost, and wonder why nothing changes.

  • An AI Leader asks: "What is our biggest business problem, and how can AI solve it?" They weave AI into the very fabric of their company—from marketing to HR to operations.

The divide isn't about your budget. It's about your mindset.

Three Questions to Know Where You Stand

Forget the technical jargon. As a leader, you only need to ask yourself three simple, honest questions right now.

1. Is Our Company's Data an Asset or a Mess?

AI is like a brilliant chef. Your company’s data is the ingredients. If you give the chef a pile of rotten vegetables, you can’t expect a gourmet meal. Many Indian companies are sitting on mountains of data, but it's messy, disorganized, and stored in a dozen different places. An AI Leader is obsessed with cleaning and organizing their data, knowing it’s the fuel for everything that comes next.

2. Are Our People Using AI to Create, or Just to Cut Corners?

Your employees are already using tools like ChatGPT. The question is how. A laggard’s team uses AI to write lazy emails and summarize reports they haven't read. A leader’s team is taught how to use AI as a creative partner—to brainstorm new product ideas, identify new markets, and solve problems that were impossible to solve before. Are you giving your people the skills and permission to innovate, or just watching them from a distance?

3. Is Our AI Making Our Customers Happier, or Just... Weirder?

We’ve all experienced it: the terrible customer service chatbot that understands nothing. That’s a laggard’s AI—it creates distance. A leader’s AI does the opposite. It powers the recommendation engine that knows exactly what you want. It provides the 24/7 support that solves your problem instantly. It makes the customer feel seen and understood on a massive scale. Is your AI a wall or a bridge between you and your customers?

How to Cross the Divide: Your First 3 Steps

If those questions made you uncomfortable, good. It means you have time to act. Here’s where to start.

  1. Solve One Big Problem, Not Ten Small Ones. Don't sprinkle AI everywhere. Pick your single biggest, most painful business problem. Is it supply chain delays? Is it finding qualified sales leads? Is it high customer churn? Focus all your initial AI firepower on solving that one thing. A clear win will build momentum for everything else.

  2. Create "AI Champions," Not an "AI Department." Don't silo your AI talent in a separate department. Instead, find one or two smart, curious people in each of your existing teams—marketing, finance, HR—and make them your "AI Champions." Give them the training and freedom to experiment. Let them find ways to use AI to improve their own team's work. Innovation will bubble up from everywhere.

  3. Invest in Mindset, Not Just Machines. The most important investment you can make is not in software, but in your people. Run workshops. Bring in experts. Create a culture where it's safe to try an AI project and fail. The goal is to get your entire organization thinking differently. Your company’s ability to learn and adapt is your ultimate competitive advantage.

The AI revolution won't be televised. It will happen quietly, in the daily decisions and strategies of businesses just like yours. It’s happening right now, in the heart of the world’s fastest-growing economy.

The choice is yours, and it’s simple.

On which side of the divide will you be standing?


Contact us : - hello@mckinleyresearch.org, https://mckinleyresearch.org/,phone -9042206972

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