key trends to anticipate in 2025, CIO News, ET CIO

Since its inception, Gen AI has showcased astounding potential to facilitate the business objectives of organizations functioning across sectors by transforming their operations and processes. Recognizing this, businesses are exploring the possibilities of integrating Gen AI into their everyday functioning. In this tech-driven era, it’s imperative for businesses to harness the true potential of GenAI. They can achieve what was unachievable a few years ago.

Companies are making big strides towards this. The recently published NTT DATA’s GenAI report reveals how companies plan to leverage the potential of the technology in the New Year 2025. According to the report, companies now want to move from the experimental phase to strategic adoption and real utilization. They are making necessary changes across domains and investing heavily to adapt to GenAI era.

Based on its analysis, the report expects the following key trends that will dominate the GenAI landscape in 2025:

Strategic integration of GenAI across industry

NTT DATA’s GenAI report finds that 84% of C-suite executives in India anticipate major transformations in 2025 due to the emphasis on GenAI integration. Organizations today emphasize investment to align GenAI strategies with broader business goals, which is expected to shorten the existing gap in the deployment of the technology GenAI in the New Year. With a majority of Indian and global leaders being prepared with a well-defined strategy to enhance the return on their investment, it can be considered an indication that top executives aim to leverage the power of GenAI in 2025.
The adoption of agent-augmented solutions is set to revolutionize IT workflows, with automated tools such as intelligent code generation, chatbots for streamlined support, and advanced data management systems driving this transformation. These innovations not only optimize routine tasks but also enable IT teams to focus on strategic initiatives, paving the way for organizations to reduce turnaround times, improve accuracy, and enhance overall productivity.The rise of hyper-automation is poised to redefine business processes, particularly in finance and accounting (F&A) operations and payroll processes, by automating repetitive tasks like invoice processing, expense management, and payroll calculations, leading to increased efficiency, accuracy, faster processing times, and leaving room for employees to focus on more strategic activities like analysis and decision-making. Furthermore, the integration of hyper automation and digital marketplaces will enhance customer loyalty and help organizations achieve a competitive edge.

Workforce transformation will accelerate as businesses invest in reskilling programs to empower employees with AI fluency. According to NTT DATA’s GenAI report, 96% of the respondents globally believe that GenAI can streamline workflows and redefine employee experiences, while 100% of Indian respondents have similar thoughts. However, they face challenges related to workforce skills, given the lack GenAI expertise by employees. This will give rise to several training initiatives in 2025 that will include focused programs to address the skill gaps in enabling smoother adoption of GenAI.
Modernizing infrastructure will remain a priority, with hybrid and multi-cloud solutions taking centre stage. Presently, legacy infrastructure is often considered a hindrance to GenAI deployment, given their outdated hardware, software, and networks. It is expected that organizations will increase investment in modernizing infrastructure to address these barriers in the New Year.

GenAI will have a long-term impact, addressing challenges and fostering responsible innovation to drive measurable results and societal advancement. As we enter 2025, companies and leaders globally have well-defined strategies to leverage the true potential of GenAI. This is particularly crucial for India, which has ambitious dreams to accomplish in this decade. The New Year will see companies ensuring GenAI integration to facilitate India’s ambitious missions of Digital India and Atmanirbhar Bharat while serving consumers with the best products and solutions. The future of GenAI in India seems quite promising.

The author is Avinash Joshi, CEO, India, NTT DATA Inc.

Disclaimer: The views expressed are solely of the author and ETCIO does not necessarily subscribe to it. ETCISO shall not be responsible for any damage caused to any person/organization directly or indirectly.