The most AI-ready companies outpace peers in the race to value: Cisco AI Research 2025

As enterprises globally race to harness the power of artificial intelligence, Cisco’s third annual AI Readiness Index reveals a widening gap between the most AI-prepared organizations and those still experimenting. According to the study, a small but consistent group of leaders—dubbed Pacesetters—continue to outperform peers across every measure of AI value realization.

Surveying over 8,000 AI leaders across 30 markets and 26 industries, the report finds that 17% of Indian organizations and 13% globally fall into this Pacesetter category. These companies are three times more likely to move AI pilots into production and 72% more likely to report measurable business value.

“We’re moving past the era of question-answering chatbots and stepping into the next major phase of AI—agents that independently execute tasks,” said Jeetu Patel, President and Chief Product Officer, Cisco. “Today’s study shows that over 80% of companies are prioritizing agentic solutions ...