Quick Take
- The Agentic AI Surge has Indian firms tightening governance, with 51% favouring industry-specific rules over global standards.
- Risk and ethics review frameworks top adoption at 51%, per the ET-Cisco AI Readiness and Adoption survey, 2026.
- Most firms stay confident on DPDP compliance, betting on domestic frameworks like RBI FREE-AI over the next two years.
In This Article
The Agentic AI Surge is pushing most Indian enterprises to build stronger governance and risk controls, as 51% prioritise industry-specific guidelines over global frameworks, according to the ET-Cisco AI Readiness and Adoption survey, 2026.
The survey covered 214 companies across trust, governance, and data privacy. It found that firms favour domestic rules such as the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) regime and RBI guidance as agentic AI, software that acts on its own, moves from pilots into live workflows. Most firms remain confident on compliance.
StartupFeed Insight
The real signal in this data is the gap between ambition and control. Only 28% prioritise external audits, yet 47% want continuous monitoring of AI agents. That mismatch tells StartupFeed.in that founders are racing to deploy agents faster than they can independently verify them. Watch fintech and BFSI teams here, since RBI FREE-AI ties board-approved AI policies to real accountability. Our prediction: by mid-2027, third-party AI assurance will shift from a nice-to-have to a procurement requirement in regulated Indian sectors, and vendors without it will lose enterprise deals. By StartupFeed Desk.
Agentic AI Surge: Survey Breakdown
The Agentic AI Surge is reshaping corporate priorities, with risk and ethics review frameworks ranked the top control at 51%, per the ET-Cisco survey, 2026. The data shows governance is now a board-level concern, not an IT afterthought. Indian firms are choosing domestic rulebooks as their first reference point.
| Metric | Share | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Risk and ethics review frameworks | 51% | Top critical control for agentic AI |
| Identity and access control | 48% | Second most prioritised control |
| Continuous monitoring of AI agents | 47% | Live oversight of autonomous systems |
| Industry-specific guidelines preferred | 51% | RBI, Irdai, Sebi over global standards |
| Competitive positioning as driver | 54% | Top reason to invest in AI governance |
| External audits prioritised | 28% | Lowest-ranked control in the survey |
The most striking number is competitive positioning at 54%, the single biggest driver of governance investment. Firms now see strong oversight as a market edge, not just a compliance cost.
About the ET-Cisco AI Readiness and Adoption Survey
The ET-Cisco AI Readiness and Adoption survey, 2026 is a joint study by The Economic Times and Cisco India and South Asia. It polled 214 companies across India on AI trust, governance, and data privacy. The research maps how enterprises adopt agentic AI, which controls they prioritise, and how confident they feel on the DPDP regime and sector-specific rules.
Why do Indian firms back domestic rules?
Indian firms back domestic rules because local frameworks map more closely to their regulators and risk needs. The survey found 51% prefer industry-specific guidelines from RBI, Irdai, and Sebi, while 31% lean on global standards like ISO or NIST. Sector leaders say the underlying logic is similar, but enforcement differs.
“While the possibilities of AI are vast, we are being extra careful to ensure that we do not take undue risks related to customer protection or risk management,” Ratan Kumar Kesh, chief operating officer, Bandhan Bank.
Sandeep Agarwal, chief technology officer for security at Cisco India and South Asia, noted that local frameworks like DPDP or RBI rules are structurally aligned with global benchmarks. Founders building for BFSI should treat RBI FREE-AI as a starting point for responsible deployment.
Where is AI security focus going?
AI security focus is shifting toward protecting an organisation’s own AI systems, named the top concern by 44% of firms in the ET-Cisco survey, 2026. Teams worry about misuse, manipulation, or data exposure as agents handle sensitive workflows. The next priorities are tighter regulatory alignment and clearer agent control.
| Security Focus Area | Share |
|---|---|
| Securing own AI systems against misuse | 44% |
| Ensuring AI meets regulatory and compliance needs | 38% |
| Governing how AI agents operate | 33% |
| Deploying AI to detect and respond to threats | 31% |
What sets Indian enterprises apart is their confidence: 52% cite customer and partner trust as a governance driver, even as 46% feel regulatory pressure. The balance between speed and caution defines this market.
What’s Next
Expect agentic AI governance to harden across regulated sectors over the next 18 months. RBI FREE-AI and the DPDP regime will likely push board-approved AI policies into standard practice by 2027. Founders pitching enterprise buyers should prepare audit trails and access controls early. Will your startup treat AI governance as a feature or an afterthought?
Frequently Asked Questions
Last updated: June 15, 2026 at 10:30 IST
Written by Avinash. Published: June 15, 2026. Updated: June 15, 2026. Have a tip? Write to us at editorial@startupfeed.in.
