Salesforce: 100% of India’s IT Leaders See Promise in AI Agents

Salesforce, the AI CRM major, has unveiled findings from its latest State of IT: Security survey, highlighting an industry at a pivotal crossroads. In India, 100% of IT security leaders see potential in AI agents to enhance security operations, yet 85% admit their current practices need transformation to keep pace with evolving threats.

The research shows that while optimism is high, readiness remains uneven. Nearly half (49%) of Indian security leaders say their data foundation isn’t robust enough for AI agent deployment, and 52% lack full confidence in having the guardrails required to govern them.

AI Agents: From Promise to Practice

As AI becomes a core tool for both defenders and attackers in cybersecurity, agentic AI is emerging as a powerful ally. These autonomous systems are capable of reducing manual tasks, detecting threats proactively, and even auditing other AI models.

In India, 43% of IT security teams already use AI agents in daily operations. That number is expected to soar to 76% within the next two years, underscoring a growing reliance on intelligent systems that anticipate threats and automate responses.

Budgets Expand Amid New Threats

Faced with risks ranging from cloud security breaches to AI-specific threats like data poisoning, Indian organizations are stepping up investment. 83% of IT security leaders anticipate increased budgets in the coming year to safeguard their systems.

Compliance: An Opportunity and an Obstacle

While 81% believe AI agents can improve regulatory compliance, the reality is complex. 87% also view these agents as compliance risks, particularly in India’s diverse and evolving legal landscape.

• Only 55% feel confident in deploying agents that comply with regulations.

• 84% have yet to fully automate their compliance processes, introducing further risk.

Trust and Ethics: The Next Security Frontier

A global decline in consumer trust around AI use adds urgency. Just 42% of consumers globally trust companies to use AI ethically — down from 58% in 2023. Indian security leaders echo the concern:

• 40% aren’t fully confident in their AI’s accuracy or explainability.

• 49% lack transparency about how AI uses customer data.

• 53% haven’t established clear ethical AI use policies.

Data Governance Is Key to AI Success

Indian enterprises recognize the foundation for successful AI deployment lies in quality data and strong governance:

• 48% of Indian IT security leaders are unsure they have the data quality or safeguards needed to deploy AI agents confidently.

• Encouragingly, CIOs are now allocating 4x more budget to data infrastructure than to AI itself — laying vital groundwork for responsible AI adoption.

“The promise of AI agents in security is undeniable, but unlocking their full potential depends on building trust,” said Deepak Pargaonkar, Vice President of Solution Engineering, Salesforce India. “To truly augment security capabilities with AI, organizations must prioritize trusted data, robust governance frameworks, and compliance — ensuring protection and transparency at every level.”

Survey Methodology

The data is based on a double-anonymous survey of over 2,000 global IT security leaders, including 100 in India, conducted from December 24, 2024, to February 3, 2025. Respondents span 29 countries and include leaders responsible for security, privacy, and regulatory compliance.