Fortune India · 25 Sep, 10:00 · Technology briefing

Salesforce says Indian SMBs are moving faster on AI than large enterprises, but costs and data gaps remain

Salesforce reports that Indian small and medium-sized businesses are adopting artificial intelligence more rapidly than large enterprises.

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The briefing

The story
in brief.

What happened, who it affects, and why it landed on our intelligence desk — in plain English, sixty seconds or less.

Salesforce reports that Indian small and medium-sized businesses are adopting artificial intelligence more rapidly than large enterprises. Despite this accelerated uptake, significant barriers persist, including high implementation costs and critical gaps in data infrastructure. The trend highlights a shift where agility outweighs scale in early AI integration, yet structural challenges remain for widespread deployment across the Indian corporate landscape.

Employer demand for AI Strategy skills — indexed growth since 2019
Indicative index of skill mentions in professional job postings for the field this story moves (2019 = 1)

Your move

What this means
for your career.

Every headline redistributes opportunity. Here is who this one rewards — and how to be on the right side of it.

You should recognise that agility now outweighs sheer organisational size in AI adoption. This shift elevates the value of professionals who can navigate resource constraints while driving digital transformation. Focus on upskilling in practical AI implementation and data governance, as these are the critical bottlenecks identified. Large enterprises may lag, but SMBs are setting the pace, creating demand for versatile technologists who understand cost-effective AI strategies. Do not wait for your organisation to catch up; proactively develop skills in bridging data gaps and managing AI projects within tight budgets. Position yourself as the expert who can translate complex AI potential into tangible, affordable business outcomes.

For this story, the fields that convert it into pay are AI Strategy, Data Science, Cloud Computing and Business And Management — exactly the programmes matched below. The chart shows the indicative salary uplift certified professionals report in each of those fields; every one of them is a click away, from £79, finishing in as few as 20 days.

Indicative salary uplift in the fields matched to this story
Indicative ranges from published continuing-education salary studies, by field — each field is a recommended course below

Matched to this story

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