India surpasses US and Japan in automation

India is now driving Robotic Process Automation (RPA) and Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based technologies globally - even ahead of the US and Japan - a new study said this week. According to "Augmented Human Enterprise" - an academic study conducted by Goldsmiths (University of London) and enterprise software provider Automation Anywhere - 71 per cent of Indian respondents said their employees used RPA and AI-based augmentation to its full potential - the highest proportion for any of the four markets surveyed. While 66 per cent Indians said that they are empowered to take risks, 77 per cent said that their organisation prioritised employee development. India also outscored other markets on employee engagement and (with an impressive 84 per cent) on employee listening. For the study, the research team surveyed senior business leaders from major enterprises in India, the UK, the US and Japan. The team also interviewed leading automation and AI subject-matter experts, including technologists, CEOs, scientists and engineers. The team highlighted that automation must be used to enhance employee skills and complement their working styles to derive the maximum benefit. "India leads the way in reaping the benefits of augmentation, with 86 per cent of the respondents saying that automation has increased employee productivity," said the study.