75% of Indian desk workers adopting AI to drive productivity: Report

New Delhi, July 20 (IANS) About 75 per cent of Indian workers are adopting artificial intelligence (AI) and automation to drive productivity at work, a new report said on Thursday.

According to the Salesforce-owned enterprise chat application Slack, Indian organisations that have adopted AI in their work are 53 per cent more likely to report significantly higher levels of productivity than those who have not.

"Through the strategic utilisation of intelligent tools and the optimisation of processes, we can create an environment where employees thrive and make meaningful contributions. By equipping managers and employees with the right tools to work more efficiently, organisations have the potential to drive productivity and unleash the true potential of desk workers in India," said Derek Laney, Slack Technology Evangelist, APAC, Salesforce.

Nearly 77 per cent of employees globally said that being able to automate routine tasks, such as getting expense report approvals, would improve their productivity.

Globally, those who use automation at work estimate saving an average of 3.6 hours a week, equating to at minimum one working month a year given back to each employee to focus on meaningful work.

Moreover, Indian employees said that flexible work schedules are one of the best ways for their employers to support their productivity.

Workers globally said that a flexible location (36 per cent), and unique workplace benefits, such as providing lunch or recreational activities (32 per cent), also enhance productivity, the report mentioned.

The majority (94 per cent) of employees in India said that feeling happy and engaged at work is a key driver of their productivity.

Indian desk workers who feel more productive are 13 per cent more likely to be able to focus, according to the report.

Further, managers in India stated that the top barrier to productivity faced by them is helping their teams have a good work-life balance

The top barrier to productivity faced by knowledge workers in India is spending too much time in meetings and email.

Globally, 43 per cent of managers struggle to help their team stay motivated.