From learning to application, AI confidence builds across India’s workforce: Deloitte’s Gen Z and Millennial Survey

National, 20 May 2026 - As workplaces undergo redefinition, India’s young talent pool shows higher confidence in using AI at work as compared to the global average. The 15th edition of Deloitte’s Global Gen Z and Millennial Survey offer perspective, experiences and career ambitions of India’s Gen Z and millennials set against the global context, based on responses from a total of 806 respondents in India were surveyed, including 506 Gen Zs and 300 millennials.

It highlights how AI is coming into use across aspects of work and reshaping how progress is defined with a growing focus on stability, skills and well-being.

Both generations indicate that AI has had a positive impact on their personal and professional lives. A majority also find employer-provided AI tools to be sufficient, with higher satisfaction levels among millennials. At the same time, Gen Zs are more likely to cite integration challenges compared to millennials (35% vs 25%). This is further reflected in how AI is being used at work. Over 90% of Gen Zs and millennials in India rely on it for learning and development, with many also turning to it for career guidance and managing work-related stress. Notably, they also demonstrate strong confidence in applying AI in their roles, well ahead of global peers, alongside a growing interest in building new AI skills. While India leads its global peers on AI adoption, there remains a clear opportunity for organisations to further scale

Other findings:

Financial pressure: The “maybe later” reality

• 54% Gen Zs and 44% millennials have delayed major life decisions due to their financial situation. This financial pressure is more acute among Gen Zs, with 37% unable to afford a home (vs. 20% of millennials) and 29% feeling financially insecure (vs 18% millennials)
• Unemployment remains the top concern for 27% of Gen Zs, followed by climate change, while 34% millennials rank this as their leading concern, followed by cybersecurity and data protection
  
  

Growth and leadership, reconsidered

• 96% of Gen Zs and 93% of millennials are interested in senior leadership roles, and 89% and 87% respectively in pursuing supervisory or management roles. However, only 9% and 8% respectively, identify it as their primary goal.
• Maintaining a good work-life balance and achieving financial independence remain top priorities. These are also among the top factors that would change the minds of those not currently interested.
• Globally, the trends is firmly in favour of a steady progression-based job over a fast-paced one. In India however, this is a mixed bag, showing the diversity of ambitions within these cohorts too.
  

Learning and adaptability

• Proficiency scales: Indian millennials report higher proficiency across all top skills, including communication (68% vs 50%) and technical skills (62% vs 46%). Both generations are confident in using AI at work as compared to the global average. This translates into high confidence on the job, with 85% of Gen Zs and 91% of millennials comfortable using AI in their roles.
• AI capabilities: India’s Gen Zs and millennials are ahead of their global peers in AI readiness, learning speed and confidence in using AI. 32% of Gen Zs and 35% of millennials have already completed AI training, with continued interest in building these skills (54% and 60% respectively).
• AI at work: AI is now central to how Gen Zs and millennials approach work, with 93–95% using it regularly and 93%–96% reporting a positive impact. Its growing use for learning, career decision and managing work pressure shows that it is evolving beyond productivity into a broader support system.
  

Wellbeing

• Wellbeing remains positive on the surface, but underlying stress persists. While a majority report good mental health (76% of Gen Zs and 83% of millennials), a sizeable share (24% and 18% respectively) continue to feel stressed due to personal and workplace pressures.
  
  

Ideal workplace

• Purpose and voice at work are strongly valued, with 99% of Gen Zs and 98% of millennials linking purpose to job satisfaction, and a notable share (48% and 41%) willing to reject employers that do not align with their beliefs. They also have a strong belief in influencing decisions (85–90%), reflecting growing expectations for agency and impact at work.
• Workplace relationships remain strong, but their impact goes beyond engagement to retention and wellbeing, with 79–80% considering colleagues as friends. Those with work friendships are more likely to stay longer (55% vs lower for those without) and report higher happiness (71–80% vs 53–68%), highlighting the role of connections in shaping both career commitment and overall well-being.
  
  

About Deloitte Global 2026 Gen Z and Millennial Survey

Deloitte’s 2026 Gen Z and Millennial Survey reflects the responses of 14,384 Gen Zs (born between 1995 January and 2007 December*) and 8,211 millennials (born between 1983 January and 1994 December). In total, 22,595 respondents were surveyed from 44 countries across North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia-Pacific. The survey was conducted using an online, self-complete-style interview between 24 November 2025 and 15 January 2026. *Gen Zs are typically defined as being born between January 1995 and December 2010, but this study does not include respondents younger than 18, so each year the definition of Gen Zs in this survey shifts a year to include all adult Gen Zs.

Media contact
Saumya Prashar
Deloitte Shared Services India LLP
Email: saprashar@deloitte.com