TLDR: A new report reveals that 88% of global enterprises now have dedicated budgets for Artificial Intelligence, with two-thirds allocating over 15% of their total tech spending to AI projects. This significant investment signals a strategic shift from experimental Generative AI to developing intelligent, goal-oriented AI agents, with a strong emphasis on human oversight and responsible scaling.
Global enterprises are dramatically increasing their commitment to Artificial Intelligence, with a recent report indicating that a substantial 88% of companies worldwide now allocate dedicated budgets for AI initiatives. Furthermore, a significant two-thirds of these enterprises are investing more than 15% of their overall technology budgets into AI projects.
This major surge in investment marks a pivotal transition from early experimentation with Generative AI to the development and deployment of intelligent, goal-oriented systems known as AI agents. The findings come from the ‘Enterprise Experiments with AI Agents – 2025 Global Trends’ report, compiled by Nasscom, which provides a comprehensive overview of how companies globally are preparing for the next phase of AI adoption.
Sangeeta Gupta, Senior Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer at Nasscom, emphasized the critical juncture enterprises are facing. “AI agents represent the next evolution of enterprise AI — one that requires philosophical shifts in how we view work, intelligence, and autonomy,” Gupta stated. She further highlighted the necessity for responsible scaling of AI systems, stressing that it would demand “strong trust, data readiness, and continuous human oversight.”
The study, based on responses from over 100 companies across 8-9 global regions and more than 10 industries, illustrates a clear movement beyond passive data analysis towards more active AI systems capable of performing tasks and making decisions under human supervision. The report underscores a growing interest in Agentic AI, with approximately 62% of companies currently experimenting with such systems. Looking ahead, an impressive 88% of enterprises plan to set aside specific budgets for Agentic AI systems in 2025.
Currently, the primary application of AI agents is for internal tasks, including IT operations, human resources, and finance. External uses, such as customer service, remain more limited, with only 31% of enterprises utilizing Agentic AI in these areas. Despite the push for advanced AI, most companies are proceeding cautiously; around 77% are designing Agentic AI systems with a ‘human-in-the-loop’ model to ensure oversight and adaptability, while only 46% are testing fully autonomous agents. Manufacturing companies appear to be leading in the adoption of AI agents, leveraging them for robotics, quality control, and other operational areas.
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Businesses are also strengthening their foundational AI capabilities through investments in Generative AI tools, robust data infrastructure, and flexible processes. Many organizations have already established specialized AI teams and are upgrading their technological setups to support the widespread deployment of AI agents. However, despite high awareness of Generative AI, only half of the surveyed companies are actively fine-tuning large language models (LLMs) or foundation models for their specific needs. Companies anticipate that AI agents will facilitate faster decision-making and enhance their responsiveness to market changes.
