Over Half Of India’s MSMEs See AI As Key Growth Driver, Digital Maturity Rising: Vi Business Study

New Delhi, Jun 27 (KNN) More than half of India's MSMEs now view artificial intelligence as a core tool for business growth, according to the Vi Business MSME Growth Insights Study 2026. 

The study, based on engagement from around 2.5 lakh MSMEs across 16 sectors on Vi Business's ReadyForNext platform, found that 57 per cent of surveyed enterprises see AI as central to enhancing and accelerating their operations, while 25 per cent have already integrated AI into their workflows.

Digital Maturity on the Rise

India's overall Digital Maturity Index rose to 60.8 in 2026, up from 58.0 in 2025 and 55.9 in 2023. 

Digital Workplace emerged as the fastest-growing pillar, rising from 57.5 in 2023 to 65.7 in 2026, driven by higher adoption of collaboration platforms, productivity suites and HR management software. Digital Operations also improved from 56.5 to 62.0 over the same period.

Cybersecurity adoption has gathered pace alongside AI, with 46.3 per cent of MSMEs now deploying cyber defence solutions — one of the biggest contributors to the improvement in digital maturity scores.

M P Sunil Kumar, Chief Enterprise Business Officer, Vodafone Idea, said, "India’s MSMEs are moving beyond basic digitisation towards building intelligent, secure, and future-ready enterprises. The growing adoption of AI, rising digital maturity levels, and increasing investments in workplace and operational technologies reflect a perceptible shift." 

Broad-Based Transformation

Digital transformation is proving broad-based. Women-led MSMEs recorded a Digital Maturity Index of 61.6, marginally ahead of male-led businesses at 60.4. Four-fifths of MSMEs now have an online presence, though one-fifth remain entirely offline and a significant proportion do not operate their own websites.

Among sectors, Financial Services emerged as the most digitally mature with a score of 67.3, ahead of IT and ITeS at 66.2. Retail recorded the strongest improvement, rising 9.9 points to 61.9, driven by omnichannel adoption and digital payments. 

Telangana topped state rankings at 68.3, followed by Karnataka and Maharashtra, while Andhra Pradesh entered the top 10 for the first time. Eastern states continue to lag, with no representation in the top 10.

Financial Readiness Added as New Pillar

Vi Business has expanded its assessment framework by introducing Financial Readiness as a fourth pillar alongside Digital Customer, Digital Workplace and Digital Operations. 

“By introducing the Financial Readiness Pillar, we (Vi Business) aim to provide an all-inclusive ecosystem blueprint that helps small and medium size businesses evaluate their resilience, secure funding, and scale sustainably in a highly competitive global market,” Kumar noted.

The new benchmark is designed to evaluate MSMEs' funding preparedness and risk coverage awareness, mapping how effectively digital adoption translates into financial strength.

(KNN Bureau)