World Bank Ranks India Among Top 10 Emerging Markets in AI Readiness
The World Bank has ranked India among the top 10 emerging-market performers in artificial intelligence (AI) readiness, according to a report released on 6 October 2026.
The assessment was published in the report titled “India and Artificial Intelligence: Seizing the Development Opportunity.”
The World Bank linked India’s strong position to its large technical workforce, globally connected information technology sector, growing AI investment, and expanding digital public infrastructure.
AI readiness refers to an economy’s ability to adopt, deploy and scale artificial intelligence technologies.
It generally depends on factors such as:
India has emerged as one of the stronger performers among emerging economies because of its large pool of technology professionals and growing digital ecosystem.
Private investment in artificial intelligence in India increased significantly during 2025.
According to the World Bank report:
| Particular | Figure |
|---|---|
| Private AI Investment in 2024 | USD 1.2 billion |
| Private AI Investment in 2025 | USD 4.1 billion |
| Increase | USD 2.9 billion |
This sharp increase reflects growing interest from domestic companies, global technology firms, startups and investors in India’s AI ecosystem.
The World Bank also highlighted the growing role of Global Capability Centres (GCCs) in India.
The number of professionals employed by GCCs increased from:
Global Capability Centres are India-based units of multinational companies that provide services such as:
Their expansion has strengthened India’s position in global technology and digital services.
The report said that the long-term economic and labour-market impact of AI remains uncertain.
The World Bank recommended a number of policy measures to help India maximise the benefits of artificial intelligence.
These include:
The report also highlighted the potential of AI to improve productivity and public service delivery.
As of 6 October 2026, around 23% of Indian firms reported using some form of artificial intelligence.
By comparison, around 43% of firms in the United States reported using AI.
| Country | Firms Using AI |
|---|---|
| India | 23% |
| United States | 43% |
The World Bank noted that the difference was even larger when comparing the use of more advanced AI applications.
This indicates that India has strong potential but still has considerable room to expand enterprise-level AI adoption.
India’s digital public infrastructure (DPI) was identified as another major strength.
Digital public infrastructure includes large-scale digital systems used for:
India’s experience with digital systems has created a foundation that can support wider adoption of AI in both the public and private sectors.
The report linked greater AI adoption with the potential to improve:
However, the World Bank cautioned that the benefits of AI will depend on how effectively India expands skills, infrastructure and access.
The World Bank also raised India’s FY 2026-27 GDP growth forecast to 7.1%, reflecting the broader resilience of the Indian economy.
India’s position among the top emerging-market performers is supported by several structural advantages:
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