India Surges Ahead in APAC With 56% Generative AI Adoption: Forrester

Forrester’s 2025 survey finds 56% of metro adults in India use generative AI, the highest rate in the Asia Pacific sample. The study records a jump from 44% in 2024 to 56% in 2025, indicating rapid integration of generative AI tools into everyday activities across Indian metros.

India shows strong AI literacy: 63% of adults report being knowledgeable about AI, compared with 18% in Australia and 26% in Singapore. Only 5% of Indian respondents say they do not understand AI. Millennials are the most knowledgeable cohort, with 69% reporting strong AI comprehension—an important signal for employers and product teams recruiting AI-capable talent.

The research exposes a trust paradox: 45% of Indians view AI as a serious societal threat, while 66% of knowledgeable consumers trust AI-provided information. The report highlights higher tool-specific trust in India — for example, 64% trust in language translation tools — compared with 27% in Australia and 38% in Singapore. This split suggests that AI literacy raises both risk awareness and conditional confidence in AI outputs.

Generative AI and institutional trust

Respondents indicate stronger confidence in established institutions: 58% trust long-standing companies and big tech to manage AI risks, and 52% place confidence in highly regulated institutions. These trust levels are markedly higher than in Australia and Singapore, where private-sector trust typically falls below 25%. Forrester’s findings imply that brand heritage and perceived regulatory compliance matter to Indian consumers.

Security is a leading concern: 73% of Indians expressed worry about online scams, 67% about identity theft and disinformation, and 66% about deepfakes. At the same time, 59% of respondents support government regulation of AI, and 52% trust their national government to manage AI risks. These figures indicate consumer demand for clearer governance, stronger security controls, and transparent AI practices.

Implications for enterprises and product teams

Forrester’s data suggests practical steps for organisations entering or scaling in India: prioritise transparent communication about AI capabilities and limits; emphasise security, privacy, and anti-fraud measures; and leverage brand credibility or partnerships with regulated entities to build consumer trust. The high concentration of AI-literate users also creates an opportunity to deploy higher-value, productivity-focused generative AI features that assume a baseline of user understanding.

"India's AI landscape presents a remarkable combination of high adoption, sophisticated understanding, and pragmatic scepticism," said Vasupradha Srinivasan, principal analyst at Forrester. "The data reveals that Indian consumers are not just early adopters, they’re discerning users who understand both AI's potential and its risks. For global enterprises, this creates an environment where transparency, security, and institutional credibility become competitive differentiators. The 59% of Indians who believe governments should regulate AI, combined with 52% who trust their national government to manage AI risks, suggests a market ready for responsible AI innovation rather than unchecked technological deployment."

India’s combination of rising generative AI adoption, elevated AI literacy, and a pronounced focus on security and institutional trust makes it a strategic priority for AI-driven businesses. Successful deployments will balance innovation with governance, clearly communicate safeguards, and design products that reflect users’ nuanced expectations about safety, privacy, and accountability.