Some 98% of Indian business leaders are planning to increase investment in IT to bolster their sustainability efforts, a new study by IBM has found.
According to the State of Sustainability Readiness Report 2024, the majority of Indian firms see investment in IT as ‘vital’, not only for environmental responsibility, but also to drive long-term business resilience (61%) and brand reputation (64%).
In particular, the role that artificial intelligence (AI) can play in accelerating sustainability efforts was acknowledged – some 96% of Indian executives believe that AI can positively impact their sustainability goals.
In addition, close to two thirds (64%) of firms in India said that they are currently actively using AI in their sustainability efforts.
‘A game changer’
“As sustainability becomes central to business growth strategies, AI is proving to be a game-changer in driving responsible growth,” commented Sandip Patel, managing director of IBM India/South Asia.
“Today, India stands out as a leader in AI-driven sustainability. Business leaders across the country view sustainability as a strategic lever for transformation, and IBM is advancing AI solutions to help accelerate their sustainability goals.”
Business resilience
Brand reputation (64%) and long-term business resilience (61%) are cited as the primary drivers of sustainability-focused IT investments.
In addition, the study found that 81% of Indian business leaders have adopted a proactive approach to climate resilience, with 54% having introduced opportunity-driven sustainability investments. Lastly, 79% of Indian leaders have said that they have implemented mature systems for monitoring sustainability goals through data.
‘As top challenges to sustainability continue to evolve, organisations should collect data from across their business to better understand the difference in perceptions between C-suite and lower-level decision makers. Leveraging data analysis and reporting tools can uncover blind spots and maintain visibility and alignment across the organisation,’ IBM added.
Conducted by Morning Consult and sponsored by IBM, the study surveyed 2,790 business leaders across 15 industries and nine countries, including India, between April and May 2024. Read more here.
