India continues to reinforce its position as a preferred destination for global investments even as the global economic outlook remains subdued, according to the PwC Global CEO Survey.
The India perspective of PwC’s 29th Annual Global CEO Survey highlights strong confidence among Indian business leaders, underpinned by robust economic fundamentals, policy stability, and a large domestic market.
The PwC Global CEO Survey reveals that 77% of CEOs in India expect stronger economic growth in their domestic market, significantly higher than the 55% of global CEOs who remain optimistic about growth in their respective territories.
This growing confidence has propelled India up from fifth place last year to a higher ranking among preferred territories for planned investments by global CEOs.
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PwC Global CEO Survey highlights India CEOs’ confidence in economic growth
Based on responses from 4,454 CEOs across 95 countries and territories – including nearly 50 CEOs from India – the survey indicates that Indian business leaders are markedly more optimistic about near-term prospects.
About 57% of India CEOs report high confidence in short-term revenue growth for their organisations, nearly double the global average.
Commenting on the findings, Sanjeev Krishan, Chairperson, PwC in India, said that India’s rise as a preferred investment destination reflects sustained trust in its long-term growth trajectory.
He noted that while growth opportunities remain strong, CEOs must also address emerging cyber and technology-related risks through decisive and balanced leadership.
PwC Global CEO Survey: Cybersecurity and Technology Risks Prominent
While investment sentiment remains strong, the PwC Global CEO Survey underscores heightened awareness among India CEOs of evolving risk dynamics.
Cybersecurity has emerged as a critical priority, with 48% of India CEOs planning to strengthen enterprise-wide cybersecurity measures to a large or very large extent. This aligns closely with global trends, where 47% of CEOs share similar concerns amid rising cyber threats and digital vulnerabilities.
Technology disruption and rapid advances in artificial intelligence also feature among top strategic challenges. As per the survey, 66% of India CEOs are concerned about keeping pace with technology and AI, compared with 42% globally.
Although adoption is underway, many organisations remain in the early stages of integrating AI across business functions, products, and customer experiences.
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Innovation-led diversification gathers pace among Indian companies
The PwC Global CEO Survey highlights a growing appetite for innovation-led diversification among Indian enterprises.
- About 57% of India CEOs say their organisations have entered at least one new sector in the past five years, up from 39% in the previous survey and well above the global average of 42%.
- Technology emerges as the most attractive sector for diversification, with 20% of India CEOs indicating plans to venture into it over the next three years.
- This is followed by industrial manufacturing (16%) and aerospace and defence (14%).
- While half of the CEOs believe their speed to market is faster than peers, 36% feel it lags behind, signalling scope for operational improvements and collaboration.
AI adoption seen as a strategic enabler, notes PwC Global CEO Survey
The survey indicates cautious but growing adoption of AI among Indian companies.
- Around 37% of India CEOs report applying AI to demand generation to a moderate or large extent, while 36% are using AI in products, services, and customer experiences at similar levels.
- Where AI has been deployed at scale, tangible benefits are evident. About 32% of India CEOs report revenue growth, and 27% cite cost reductions attributable to AI initiatives.
Despite this progress, the PwC Global CEO Survey emphasises that long-term value creation from AI will depend on strong governance, data readiness, talent development, and trust-based organisational foundations.
In the broader context of India’s development ambitions, business leaders increasingly view AI as a catalyst for productivity gains and competitive differentiation.
However, the survey notes that embedding trust, resilience, and cultural alignment remains critical for translating innovation into sustained performance.
