Indian CX needs to move to a system of action
AI Reshaping Customer Experience in India
Indian CX needs to move – Across India, the way businesses manage customer interactions is undergoing a critical transformation. While artificial intelligence (AI) is altering customer experience (CX) globally, its impact in the subcontinent is distinct. This shift is driven by a growing need to replace outdated methods—systems built on informal, improvised practices—that have long defined India’s approach to service delivery.
The Legacy of Jugaad
For two decades, the Indian industry relied on a flexible yet imperfect strategy. This approach, often called *jugaad*, thrived on quick fixes and resourcefulness under constraints. It’s a concept deeply rooted in the country’s culture, evident in everyday scenarios: a rickshaw driver mounting a phone on his dashboard, a small business owner managing accounts via WhatsApp, or a street vendor adopting UPI payments alongside cash. Though “workaround” captures its essence, the term falls short of conveying the spirit of *jugaad*.
“Customer engagement worked despite the system, not because of it.”
Legacy systems, though fragmented, allowed operations to function. Supervisors manually assembled data from disparate tools, agents memorized policies without CRM support, and quality teams checked a handful of calls weekly, hoping for consistency. This ad-hoc model delivered service, but rarely with precision. The success of CX often hinged on human effort rather than structured processes.
Shifting Consumer Expectations
India’s consumers are no longer content with slow, polite service. They demand immediate resolutions: groceries delivered in ten minutes, bank queries settled on the first call, and cabs that anticipate destinations with a single tap. The benchmark for good service has evolved from patience to efficiency, measured in real-time outcomes. With rising volumes and heightened expectations, any delay or error can spread rapidly through social media, amplifying its impact.
Market Growth and AI Impact
The urgency of this change is reflected in India’s contact centre software market. A recent report projects a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 29.5% between 2026 and 2033, positioning it as the fastest-growing region for the technology. This momentum isn’t accidental. As the industry scales, the need for robust infrastructure becomes undeniable. AI-centric models are already outperforming traditional systems: they’re 85% more profitable and 69% more likely to deliver exceptional customer experiences.
System of Action: The New Paradigm
System of action isn’t a single tool, but a holistic framework. It ensures every conversation—whether between agents and customers, colleagues on a deal, or service tickets and teams—is part of a seamless process rather than isolated tasks. The goal is to eliminate fragmented workflows, enabling interactions to conclude effectively instead of lingering in incomplete states.
AI is the linchpin enabling this shift. Contrary to headlines that focus on chatbots replacing human agents, the real change lies in streamlining processes. By reducing friction, AI allows agents to handle queries with minimal hassle, notes to auto-generate, and supervisors to focus on complex cases. This evolution marks a departure from *jugaad*, where improvisation was the norm, to a model where consistency and efficiency drive outcomes.
Consider a typical day for a contact centre agent in India. They juggle multiple tools, take notes while listening, and recall resolution paths from past interactions. When uncertainty arises, they escalate to supervisors, who then manage manual follow-ups. With AI integration, these tasks become fluid. Real-time insights guide agents, automated systems handle routine queries, and the entire process aligns with the speed and clarity consumers now expect.