'Open Models’ will be key to unlocking India's AI potential, says Adobe's Prativa Mohapatra

India is leading the charge in generative AI adoption, with businesses here demonstrating significant return on investment. This was a key takeaway from a new Adobe study, "2025 AI and Digital Trends India snapshot," the findings of which were released on Wednesday at the Adobe India Summit in Mumbai.

The report, based on a survey of Indian executives and consumers, revealed that nearly a quarter (23%) of Indian businesses are already seeing measurable results from generative AI adoption – the highest in APAC. Yet, amidst this success, challenges remain, particularly around data. Prativa Mohapatra, Vice President and Managing Director for Adobe India , offered a pivotal insight into the future of AI, emphasising that true growth hinges on robust interoperability and open collaboration, in a conversation with Fortune India on the sidelines of the summit.

“It (Interoperability) is super important. Because, like I said, we're not going to build every model," Mohapatra stated, underscoring her belief in an interconnected AI ecosystem.

This directly addresses the complexities revealed in the Adobe study. While executives report significant gains in content ideation speed (73%) and productivity (67%) from generative AI, the path to deeper personalisation and broader impact is hindered by data foundations. The study shows that 55% of practitioners struggle to balance AI with human creativity, and 57% cite governance, compliance, and privacy as top barriers to scaling AI.

Mohapatra's vision of an interoperable future offers a direct solution to these challenges. She explained how the evolution from middleware to APIs has now transitioned to "open models," allowing different AI systems to "shake hands." The Adobe-Microsoft Copilot partnership serves as a prime example: a user of Microsoft Teams can seamlessly leverage Adobe Firefly for creative tasks, demonstrating how distinct AI capabilities can combine to enhance workflows.

This integrated approach is critical for businesses looking to "free teams from repetitive tasks and enable more meaningful interventions that deliver relevant and real-time personalised customer experiences," as Mohapatra stated in the study's release. She also emphasised that businesses will need to invest in solving data challenges and adopting agentic AI.

The urgent need for this collaborative ecosystem is further underscored by consumer demands. The Adobe study found that while 77% of consumers desire personalised recommendations, only 53% currently receive them. This comprehensive approach, powered by a suite of integrated technologies, perfectly illustrates the power of interoperability in action.

Ultimately, Mohapatra's take on open collaboration isn't just a philosophical stance; it appears to be more of a strategic imperative. The Adobe study confirms that Indian executives are already leaning into AI for hyper-personalisation, with 69% saying it will most influence their technology stack decisions in the next 12-24 months.

For India to maintain its early-mover advantage within the region and fully realise the potential of AI, the industry will be compelled to embrace an ecosystem where diverse AI models and solutions can seamlessly connect, share data securely, and collectively drive the next wave of innovation, moving from an AI evolution to an AI revolution.