Millennials Beat Gen Z In AI Shopping Adoption In India: 84% Use AI Tools To Make Purchase Decisions, McKinsey Finds
Last Updated: 2026-11-02 16:03:23
Millennials in India are more likely than Gen Z consumers to use artificial intelligence (AI) tools while shopping, according to a new report by McKinsey & Company. The findings challenge the popular assumption that younger consumers are always ahead when it comes to adopting emerging technologies.
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84% of Indian millennials use AI for shopping.- India ranks second globally in AI shopping adoption.
- 87% of Indian users trust AI tools for purchases.
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According to McKinsey’s Agentic Commerce Consumer Survey, 84% of Indian millennials use AI-powered tools to discover products, compare options or make purchasing decisions. Among Gen Z consumers, the adoption rate stands at 74%. The survey also found that 74% of Gen X consumers and 56% of baby boomers in India use AI tools for shopping.
India ranks second among the 11 markets covered in the survey for AI-powered shopping adoption. China leads with 80%, while India follows at 76%. The global average is considerably lower at 53%.
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The findings suggest that AI is increasingly becoming part of the shopping process in India, with consumers using conversational search and AI assistants to research products before spending money. Instead of depending entirely on traditional search engines or visiting multiple shopping websites, consumers can ask AI tools for recommendations, compare product specifications and narrow down their choices through conversations.
The survey also points towards relatively high confidence in these tools among Indian consumers. Around 87% of Indian users said they trusted AI chat and search tools, compared with the global average of 73%.
However, the findings also highlight differences between usage and trust. Globally, only 67% of Gen Z AI users expressed confidence in AI chat and search tools, below the overall average. This indicates that frequent use does not necessarily translate into complete trust in the technology.
McKinsey conducted the survey in June 2026, covering approximately 21,000 consumers across 11 markets, including India, China, the United States and the United Kingdom. The company also cautioned that India’s baby boomer adoption figure should be treated as indicative because the finding was based on fewer than 100 respondents.
The growing adoption of AI shopping tools could have implications for online retailers, marketplaces and brands. Businesses may increasingly need to ensure that their products are discoverable through AI-powered search and recommendation systems, rather than relying only on conventional search rankings and sponsored listings.
For Indian consumers, the findings indicate that AI-assisted shopping is no longer limited to technology enthusiasts or younger users. It is gradually becoming a mainstream way of researching and evaluating products.