ENTERPRISE AI READINESS IN 2026 HINGES ON SKILLS, COMPLIANCE, AND SECURITY

VIJAYAKUMAR VAIDYANATHAN
COO, Symmetrix Computer Systems Pvt. Ltd.

Considering data foundation as a major pillar of AI, our readiness for enterprise-scale AI in 2026 is around 40 percent. Other pillars such as strategy and leadership, security, infrastructure, and skills or change management are closer to 20 percent. The biggest challenge is the availability of skilled manpower, and this gap is expected to persist due to high demand versus availability. Compliance is another key challenge for SMBs, as many operate with basic or intermediate IT security while large organisations mandate compliance for suppliers and partners, creating budget and resource constraints.

Security is the next major concern, as emerging risks will require organisations to invest additional effort and time to remain vigilant. To address risks such as deepfakes, cyber fraud, and data privacy, particularly in the SMB segment, we adopt hybrid systems balancing automation with human-in-the-loop processes. Media generated through workflows is manually verified before publishing, standard templates with watermarking are used to maintain authenticity, and teams are periodically trained on data security.

Audit trails are maintained and reviewed to strengthen data protection, supported by privacy-by-design and continuous monitoring to ensure compliance and tamper resistance. Cloud-native platforms are becoming the foundation of the current IT era, while SMBs largely operate in hybrid architectures focused on compliance, security, and on-premises integration. Our AI solutions align with Digital India and IndiaAI, emphasizing data security, India-specific compliance, and responsible AI usage frameworks.