A recent Salesforce report reveals that 78% of small and medium-sized businesses in India are utilising or experimenting with artificial intelligence), with the leading applications being automated service chatbots, marketing campaign optimisation, and content generation.

A Salesforce report shared that 78 per cent of SMBs in India are using or experimenting with AI. The top three use cases are automated service chatbots, marketing campaign optimisation, and generating new content. Additionally, 93 per cent of Indian SMBs with AI say it increases revenue.

Salesforce released its sixth edition of the Small & Medium Business Trends Report, with insights from 3,350 leaders from small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) across 26 countries, including 200 from India. The report highlights how forward-looking SMBs are using AI to drive growth amid the rise of autonomous AI agents.

Forty-one per cent of SMB leaders in India worry their company will be left behind with AI. As technology offerings multiply and capabilities expand, SMB leaders face mounting pressure to manage their tech stack effectively. Sixty per cent say keeping pace with changing technology is challenging, and 35 per cent say there is less time to master all the tech their company uses.

According to the report, 86 per cent of SMBs in India say improving the quality of their data would increase revenue. With consumer trust at its lowest point in years, SMBs are prioritizing reliable partnerships as they navigate a world of security risks and rapid technological change.

Ninety-one per cent of SMBs in India said they would spend more on tech from trusted vendors. The top three SMB concerns about AI in India are security concerns, a tie between compliance concerns and customer distrust of AI, and poor data quality.

“AI and agents are reshaping what’s possible across business functions like marketing, sales, service, and commerce,” said Arun Kumar Parameswaran, Managing Director of Sales at Salesforce India. “Small businesses are demonstrating that innovation and growth are not limited by size. By leveraging AI-driven technologies such as autonomous agents, SMBs are unlocking efficient ways to scale—delivering personalised customer experiences and optimizing back-office operations.”

Published on December 19, 2024