The telecom industry is at a pivotal moment. While automation and GenAI have improved efficiency and customer experience, a new frontier - agentic AI, is redefining what’s possible. Unlike traditional AI that advises, agentic AI can observe, decide, and act autonomously, within defined guardrails. This means networks that heal themselves, customer issues resolved before they’re reported, and services that adapt in real time. It’s a shift from AI as a helper to AI as a doer and it’s already underway.

      Agentic AI stands apart from every other technology, not just in its sweeping impact across the front, middle, and back office but in the unprecedented pace of its adoption. It’s not being piloted, it’s being embedded. From autonomous decision-making to intelligent orchestration, agentic AI is reshaping how organisations operate, innovate, and scale - simultaneously and systemically. 


      Key takeaways from a survey conducted by KPMG in US indicating the unparalleled scale and speed of adoption

      65%

      of global companies are piloting agentic AI agents, 11 per cent have agents in production

      99%

      of globally surveyed organisations plan to deploy agentic AI agents into production

      33%

      As of Q2 2025, 33 per cent of large organisations have already deployed AI agents in production

      46%

      leaders are equally focused on efficiency and revenue growth as it relates to their AI agent strategies

      55%

      of leaders are looking to deploy AI agents developed by trusted tech providers

      51%

      organisations are planning to deploy a combination of pre-built and internally built agents

      87%

      leaders, CIOs continue to lead AI-related strategies across the enterprise

      For telcos, the pathway to agentic AI adoption is less about a single “big bang” deployment and more about progressive integration - from strategy to workforce, governance, and technology foundations. Those who move early, experiment widely, and institutionalize trust will not only modernise their operations but also position themselves as enablers of national digital transformation.

      In this report, not only have we highlighted a proposed telco agentic AI stack but also shared practical use cases to transform its front, middle and back office.  But to achieve these objectives and to accelerate the agentic AI programme, leaders should consider the following six next steps

      • Articulate a vision for agentic AI in telecom, linked to customer trust, network resilience, and new revenue models
      • Launch targeted pilots in “hot spots” (e.g., network assurance, churn prevention) with clear ROI metrics.
      • Scale by function, expanding agents across customer service, operations, and regulatory compliance
      • Strengthen AI governance, creating living catalogs of deployed agents and mechanisms for continuous oversight
      • Deploy trusted AI evaluations, with AI system cards, bias audits, and safety tests specific to agent behaviour
      • Develop talent metrics, treating digital agents as co-workers with measurable KPIs (accuracy, SLA compliance, anomaly detection)

      Agentic AI is not merely an evolution - it is the defining leap that will empower telcos to transcend automation and architect the future of intelligent, self-driven connectivity.

      From automation to autonomy: Reimagining telecom with agentic AI

      Agentic AI is the defining leap that will empower telcos to transcend automation and architect the future of intelligent, self-driven connectivity

      India Mobile Congress 2025


      Join KPMG in India as the knowledge partner for 9th consecutive year for India Mobile Congress 2025

      Key Contacts

      Akhilesh Tuteja

      Partner & National Leader, Clients and Markets

      KPMG in India

      Purushothaman KG

      Partner and Head Technology Transformation, Sector Head - Telecommunications

      KPMG in India

      Sonica Bajaj

      Partner, Clients and Markets and COO, KPMG Global Cyber Business

      KPMG in India

      Rahul Hakeem

      Partner, Technology, Media and Telecom

      KPMG in India

      How can KPMG in India help

      The telecommunications sector has emerged as a strong focus sector for KPMG in India.

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