Indian HR Leaders Eye 383% Growth in Agentic AI by 2027

Salesforce’s latest research, based on a survey of 200 global human resource executives, reveals that digital labor isn’t just a trend—it’s a business strategy revolution. With AI agent adoption expected to jump 383% over the next two years, leading to a 41.7% productivity gain, HR leaders in India are reimagining how organizations structure and skill their workforce.

The findings indicate that CHROs in India expect to redeploy nearly a quarter (24.7%) of their workforce as their organizations embrace digital labor.

The study also highlights the growing emphasis on AI reskilling programs. A striking 88% of Indian HR leaders are already reskilling or planning to reskill their workers to compete in a market increasingly shaped by AI agents. Additionally, 81% believe that soft skills—like relationship building and collaboration—will become even more critical as humans work alongside intelligent agents.

Why Agentic AI Matters

• 85% of Indian HR leaders agree the workforce will consist of both humans and agents within the next five years.

• 88% say their organizations have yet to implement agentic AI.

• 63% say employees don’t fully understand how digital labor will impact their work.

As agentic AI reshapes both the workplace and the skillsets employees need to succeed, understanding how HR leaders plan to ensure organizational resilience is more critical than ever.

Digital Labor- A Productivity Pivot

"We’re in the midst of a once-in-a-lifetime transformation of work with digital labor that is unlocking new levels of productivity, autonomy, and agency at a speed never before thought possible,” said Nathalie Scardino, President and Chief People Officer at Salesforce.

“Every industry must redesign jobs, reskill, and redeploy talent. Every employee will need to learn new human, agent, and business skills to thrive in the digital labor revolution.”

Key Insights from the Research

Digital Labor as the Future of Work

• 85% believe most workforces will include both humans and AI agents by 2027

• 92% of CHROs say integrating digital labor will be a critical part of their role

• CHROs project a 383% growth in AI agent adoption (from 12% today to 58% by 2027)

• Expected outcomes: 41.7% increase in productivity, 26.2% reduction in labor costs

Reskilling and Redeployment are Top Priorities

• 83% say AI agents will transform organizational structures

• 93% believe digital labor will help reassign employees to more relevant roles

• 24.7% of the workforce is expected to be redeployed

• 88% say redeployment is more cost-effective than hiring externally

• 15% are already reskilling employees, and 73% plan to begin soon

Short-Term Focus on AI Implementation

• Growth expected in:

  • R&D (59%)

  • IT (51%)

  • Sales (34%)

• CHROs plan to reassign employees to:

  • Governance, compliance, and ethics roles (60%)

  • Technical roles like data scientists and architects (60%)

• AI literacy is cited as the top skill needed for the agentic economy

Rise in Soft Skills and Relationship-Centric Roles

• 81% say soft skills will become more important

• CHROs plan to reassign employees to:

  • Partnership and account management roles (54%)

• Skills like collaboration and adaptability will be highly valued

Early Stages of Digital Labor Strategy

• Only 12% of Indian CHROs have fully implemented agentic AI

• 63% say employees are unaware of AI’s potential impact

Survey Methodology

Salesforce conducted an online, double-blind survey in partnership with NewtonX among 200 Chief Human Resource Officers, Chief People Officers, and other global leads of HR, including 41 in India.

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