Mumbai: Generative AI (GenAI) is rapidly becoming a part of everyday life for Indian consumers, influencing how they shop, research products, and make purchase decisions. According to BCG’s report, “Consumers Trust AI to Buy Better. Brands Need to Move Quickly”, the use of GenAI for shopping has grown 35% between February and November 2025, making shopping-related applications the third most common use of GenAI.
“Adoption of generative AI in India has moved well beyond early experimentation. Awareness now stands at 94%, while usage has increased to 62%, placing India among the highest-adoption markets globally. Its application spans professional and consumer decision-making, with 63% of users relying on these tools at work and 64% using them to research brands and products as part of the purchase journey. This has important implications for brands. GenAI is now playing a significant role across consumer discovery, evaluation, and decision-making. With adoption extending across personal and professional decisions, brands in India will need to ensure they are effectively represented in AI-enabled journeys through clear value propositions, high-quality data, and responsible AI practices,” said Kanika Sanghi, Partner and Director, BCG.
The report draws on a survey of more than 9,000 consumers across nine countries—Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Japan, Mexico, the UK, and the US—highlighting how GenAI tools are becoming trusted companions in consumers’ daily lives and purchasing decisions.
Key findings include:
- High awareness and adoption: Consumer awareness of GenAI has risen by 12 points, and usage has grown by 25 points globally over two years. India leads with 62% usage, alongside Brazil (63%), Japan (48%), and the US (42%).
- Diverse category usage: Consumers employ GenAI to explore and compare electronics, travel, groceries, healthcare, and more.
- Trust in AI recommendations: Over 60% of consumers express high trust in GenAI results. GenAI assistants and chat tools rank as the second most influential touchpoint for purchase decisions and the most influential among daily users.
- Consumer value perception: Users describe GenAI as direct, objective, transparent, and personalized, helping clarify preferences when uncertain.
Why it matters: GenAI is emerging as a critical layer in the purchase journey, shaping how consumers research, compare, and decide. Brands operating in India will need to strengthen visibility and engagement in AI-enabled interactions to meet evolving shopping behaviors.
