Adoption of generative AI (GenAI) in India has moved well beyond early experimentation and awareness now stands at 94 per cent, while usage has increased to 62 per cent, placing India among the highest-adoption markets globally, a report said on Tuesday. GenAI is becoming part of consumers’ everyday routines, including how they shop. Shopping-related use is now the third most common application of GenAI — and not just for big-ticket items, but also for everyday purchases like groceries, according to the report by BCG.

According to it, use of GenAI for shopping increased 35 per cent between February and November 2025. Its application spans professional and consumer decision-making, with 63 per cent of users relying on these tools at work and 64 per cent 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.

Since BCG began tracking global GenAI use two years ago, consumer awareness has risen by 12 points, and use has grown by 25 points. In some countries, about half of consumers are GenAI users, including Brazil (63 per cent), India (62 per cent), Japan (48 per cent), and the US (42 per cent), said the report.

“Consumers use GenAI to explore and compare everything from electronics and travel to groceries and health care,” the findings showed. Other recent BCG research found that GenAI assistants and chat tools ranked as the second most influential touchpoint among consumers who have used them in their purchase journey. Among daily GenAI users, these tools rank as the most influential touchpoint overall.