In a Mumbai skyscraper at 2 AM, a Tata Consultancy Services manager is not toiling late into the evening in front of spreadsheets. Rather, she is entering performance data into a generative AI system that will spit out customized development plans for 200 underperforming staff members. What would have taken her team weeks to accomplish is now achieved overnight, and the suggestions are uncannily more subtle than anything her HR team came up with by hand.
This situation isn't make-believe; it's the new Indian corporate reality, where generative AI shifted from boardroom jargon to everyday working tools with stealth ease.
More controversially, some leading Indian banks are employing AI to prepare performance improvement plans and even termination letters. The AI processes an employee's work record, peer input, and company regulations to generate legally compliant, bespoke documents that are approved by human HR professionals before they are edited. The outcome? More uniform, justifiable decisions with less legal exposure.
Infosys goes even further, employing AI to model media reactions to possible announcements. Prior to announcing layoffs or significant strategy changes, their AI models forecast journalist questions, activist protests, and social media sentiment--so they can hone a message until the anticipated reaction crosses their threshold.
What's most remarkable is the way AI has altered the pace and tenor of business decision-making. Mahindra Group managers no longer begin strategy sessions with briefs prepared by humans, but with market analysis written by AI that draws on real-time data from dozens of sources. These AI abstracts don't merely report facts; they underscore inconsistencies in the data and raise questions that should be answered by the leadership team.
L&T project managers employ AI to test scenarios of construction under the simulated effects of monsoons, labour strikes, or material supply shortages on timelines. It's not scheduling software, it's strategic foresight that enables them to negotiate more favourable contracts and realistic client expectations.
Indian corporates are not announcing these AI deployments because they remain experimental, occasionally morally questionable, and frequently provide them with competitive benefits they prefer to keep hidden. But the change is actual, widespread, and gaining pace, reorganizing the way India Inc. thinks, makes decisions, and conducts business in an AI-enhanced era.
Also Read:
Why 2025 Will Be the Year of AI-Powered Middle Managers
DeepMind’s CEO Says AI Can Outperform Doctors — But Nurses? Not a Chance
AI Won't Take Your Job, But It Will Transform the Way You Work: AMD CEO Lisa Su on Human-AI Collaboration in the Future
This situation isn't make-believe; it's the new Indian corporate reality, where generative AI shifted from boardroom jargon to everyday working tools with stealth ease.
The HR Revolution: Beyond Recruitment
While everyone thinks of AI in HR as automating resume screening, Indian businesses have gone much deeper. Bajaj FinServ’s HR department now employs AI to scan exit interview transcripts and forecast which departments will experience retention crises six months ahead. Not only does the system identify trends it recommends specific actions, from manager coaching to policy changes.More controversially, some leading Indian banks are employing AI to prepare performance improvement plans and even termination letters. The AI processes an employee's work record, peer input, and company regulations to generate legally compliant, bespoke documents that are approved by human HR professionals before they are edited. The outcome? More uniform, justifiable decisions with less legal exposure.
PR's Secret Weapon: Crisis Before Crisis
Indian corporate PR departments have found AI's predictive abilities in managing reputation. Reliance Industries' communications department inputs social media conversations, news trends, and industry reports into AI systems that alert potential PR disasters weeks ahead of time. When protests by farmers threatened to affect their retail businesses, AI-based scenarios assisted them in developing responses for varying levels of escalation.Infosys goes even further, employing AI to model media reactions to possible announcements. Prior to announcing layoffs or significant strategy changes, their AI models forecast journalist questions, activist protests, and social media sentiment--so they can hone a message until the anticipated reaction crosses their threshold.
What's most remarkable is the way AI has altered the pace and tenor of business decision-making. Mahindra Group managers no longer begin strategy sessions with briefs prepared by humans, but with market analysis written by AI that draws on real-time data from dozens of sources. These AI abstracts don't merely report facts; they underscore inconsistencies in the data and raise questions that should be answered by the leadership team.
L&T project managers employ AI to test scenarios of construction under the simulated effects of monsoons, labour strikes, or material supply shortages on timelines. It's not scheduling software, it's strategic foresight that enables them to negotiate more favourable contracts and realistic client expectations.
Indian corporates are not announcing these AI deployments because they remain experimental, occasionally morally questionable, and frequently provide them with competitive benefits they prefer to keep hidden. But the change is actual, widespread, and gaining pace, reorganizing the way India Inc. thinks, makes decisions, and conducts business in an AI-enhanced era.
Also Read:
Why 2025 Will Be the Year of AI-Powered Middle Managers
DeepMind’s CEO Says AI Can Outperform Doctors — But Nurses? Not a Chance
AI Won't Take Your Job, But It Will Transform the Way You Work: AMD CEO Lisa Su on Human-AI Collaboration in the Future
Disclaimer Statement: This content is authored by a 3rd party. The views expressed here are that of the respective authors/ entities and do not represent the views of Economic Times (ET). ET does not guarantee, vouch for or endorse any of its contents nor is responsible for them in any manner whatsoever. Please take all steps necessary to ascertain that any information and content provided is correct, updated, and verified. ET hereby disclaims any and all warranties, express or implied, relating to the report and any content therein.
