India Data Challenges Amid AI Boom – 54% of IT Leaders Highlight Data Security as Key Barrier to AI

• 28 Jan 2025
• TM Team
• 0 Comments

As the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) accelerates across India, 54% of Indian IT leaders identify security gaps as significant barriers to AI success, according to the Hitachi Vantara State of Data Infrastructure Survey. 45% of respondents are concerned about a data breach from an AI-enabled attack and 35% are concerned about the inability to recover data after a ransomware or kill-ware attack.

The survey reveals that, despite the rise in AI-driven innovations, Indian enterprises are struggling to align data quality, sustainability, and resilient practices with AI’s growing demands, putting long-term success at risk. The findings highlight the urgent need for data governance practices that include robust ransomware protection services and infrastructure to ensure Indian businesses can effectively secure and recover their data in an increasingly complex data landscape.

The survey, conducted among 1,200 IT decision-makers across 15 countries—including 100 from India—reveals the transformative potential of AI and the pressing need for robust data infrastructure. Key India-specific findings include:

58% report AI initiatives’ success relies on high quality data

43% are concerned about having sufficient data quality to train AI, compared to 37% globally.

37% expressed concern about ethical and legal issues related to AI, notably higher than the global average of 28%

36% are concerned about hiring skilled workers for AI initiatives, compared to the global figure of 31%.

43% are concerned about AI’s impact on our sustainability, exceeding the global concern of 31%.

54% of Indian enterprises cite cybersecurity as their top priority in AI implementation,       overshadowing high implementation costs at 43%

Recognizing the importance of data quality, 58% of Indian IT leaders agree that “using high-quality data” is the most common reason AI projects succeed. However, AI has led to a dramatic increase in the amount of data storage that Indian businesses require, with the amount of data expected to increase 129% by 2026. This growth is exacerbating the challenge of integrating new AI systems with existing legacy infrastructure.

“India’s journey toward AI-driven innovation is accelerating at a remarkable pace, but the path is not without its challenges,” said Hemant Tiwari, Managing Director and Vice President of India and SAARC Region, Hitachi Vantara. “With more organizations expecting their data storage demands to grow exponentially in the coming years, the need for robust data infrastructure has never been more critical. Our survey shows that while Indian enterprises embrace AI, data security and governance, gaps persist in cyber security and sustainability, potentially impeding long-term success. Bridging these gaps requires a strategic focus on modern infrastructure solutions that prioritize data quality, energy efficiency, performance, resiliency and risk mitigation— critical enablers for sustainable growth in the AI era.”