9 in 10 Indian SMBs now bet on AI – with Tier-2 cities taking the lead: LinkedIn Study

India’s small and medium businesses (SMBs) are entering their most confident decade yet. New LinkedIn research finds that 9 in 10 SMBs (95.6%) are already investing in or planning AI adoption, indicating how technology has moved from experiment to infrastructure. At the same time 92% of SMB decision-makers expect business growth in the next 12 months – signalling a sector that’s not just hopeful but rebuilding around smarter systems, skilled talent, and trusted digital platforms.

For Indian SMBs, evolution is survival, not optional

Behind their confidence lies urgency. AI is no longer a buzzword, but the new baseline for growth. The research shows that 57% of SMBs view AI and automation as essential to stay competitive, 54% cite operational efficiency as key to protecting margins, and 51% say digital transformation is critical to survival.

Across India, different regions are evolving in distinct ways. SMBs in ...