India is rapidly emerging as one of the world’s most advanced markets for autonomous energy operations, with organisations across the country aggressively scaling intelligent and self-managing energy systems, according to the latest India findings from Schneider Electric’s Global Autonomous Maturity Report.
The report highlights that 48% of Indian organisations have already achieved full autonomy in their energy operations, significantly ahead of the global average of 31%. Another 30% are operating at select autonomy, where systems function autonomously in specific scenarios, indicating widespread adoption of intelligent operational technologies across the sector.
The study further reveals that India is moving beyond experimentation and deployment into large-scale optimisation. Around 73% of organisations in the country stated that their autonomy programmes are already complete or are currently in the maintenance phase, compared with just 29% globally. This reflects a growing emphasis on extracting long-term value from autonomous infrastructure rather than limiting adoption to pilot projects.
Over the next five years, India’s ambitions are expected to intensify further. Organisations are targeting 73% full autonomy, substantially higher than the global average target of 47%, signalling a strong preference for fully autonomous, self-managing operations over incremental automation.
Commenting on the findings, Deepak Sharma, MD & CEO and Zone President – Greater India at Schneider Electric, said India is approaching a critical turning point where autonomy is becoming central to the design and operation of energy systems. He noted that as energy demand rises and systems become increasingly distributed and complex, intelligent, flexible and resilient operations will become essential.
The report indicates that operational reliability is emerging as the leading driver for autonomy adoption in India, alongside a broader focus on resilience and long-term competitiveness. Autonomy is also becoming a strategic business priority, with 94% of organisations identifying it as a high-priority area over the next five years, rising to universal prioritisation over the next decade.
Digital technologies are playing a key role in enabling this transformation. The study found strong adoption of cloud and edge computing technologies among Indian organisations at 64%, while AI and machine learning adoption stands at 52%. Robotics technologies are being adopted by 48% of organisations, while 45% are strengthening cybersecurity frameworks to support secure autonomous operations.
Arvind Kakru, Vice President – Industrial Automation, Greater India at Schneider Electric, said the findings underscore the importance of building a strong digital backbone that integrates data, intelligence and automation in a connected and secure manner. He added that such capabilities will be essential for enabling systems that can adapt in real time while maintaining operational consistency.
The report also warns that delayed adoption of autonomous technologies could create heightened risks related to safety, costs and sustainability, reinforcing the growing importance of intelligent automation in ensuring efficient and reliable energy systems.
As energy demand continues to expand across Asia, India is increasingly positioning itself at the forefront of the transition toward resilient, data-driven and autonomous energy infrastructure. With high current maturity levels and ambitious future targets, the country is expected to play a major role in shaping the next phase of global autonomous energy operations.
