Indian AI Users See 15x Productivity Gains, Ranks Second Globally in Usage: Anthropic Report

Indian users of the AI chatbot Claude compress tasks that would typically take 3.8 hours into about 15 minutes, achieving a 15x productivity increase, compared with a global average of 12x, according to Anthropic’s latest Economic Index report.

The study analysed nearly 1 million Claude.ai conversations globally in November 2025 and found that India ranked second worldwide in total usage, accounting for 5.8% of global Claude.ai activity, behind the United States. However, India ranked 101st out of 116 countries on a per-capita basis, indicating that usage remains concentrated among certain professional segments rather than being broadly distributed across the population.

Software-related work dominated Indian AI usage. About 45.2% of tasks were linked to software development and related occupations — the highest share globally — compared with 42.1% in Vietnam and 39.2% in Egypt, the report said.

Geographically, four states — Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Delhi — accounted for more than half of India’s Claude.ai usage, reflecting the concentration of IT services and urban technology hubs such as Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, Mumbai and Delhi NCR.

Indian users showed distinct behavioural patterns. Work-related use accounted for 51.3% of activity, higher than the 46% global average, while personal use stood at 27.8% compared with 34.7% globally. On a 1–5 autonomy scale measuring decision delegation to AI, Indian users scored 3.60, compared with a global average of 3.38, suggesting slightly higher reliance on AI for decision support.

The report found that 84.6% of tasks brought to AI by Indian users could technically be completed without AI, compared with 87.9% globally, indicating a marginally higher use of AI for tasks users may find harder to complete independently.

Economic Impact And Structural Gaps

Anthropic’s analysis said India’s AI adoption is closely tied to its position as the world’s largest IT services exporter, with usage heavily concentrated in software and professional services.

The report categorised most Indian AI usage as “augmentation” rather than full automation, meaning AI is primarily being used to assist professionals rather than replace workflows entirely.

While absolute usage levels are high, the company noted that broader economic impact would require adoption beyond the IT sector. The gap between India’s total usage ranking (second globally) and its per-capita ranking (101st) suggests structural barriers such as income disparities, uneven digital infrastructure, and awareness gaps outside urban and technical communities.

Anthropic said expanding AI’s reach in India would depend on diffusion into non-technical sectors, regional markets, and smaller enterprises beyond established technology clusters.