Millennials Lead AI Shopping in India at 84%, McKinsey Finds

Millennials are the most active users of AI for shopping in India, with 84 per cent using AI-powered tools to search for products, compare options or decide on purchases, according to a McKinsey & Company report. Gen Z follows at 74 per cent, a gap of 10 percentage points.

The McKinsey Agentic Commerce Consumer Survey, conducted in June 2026, also found adoption of 74 per cent among Gen X consumers in India and 56 per cent among baby boomers. McKinsey noted that the boomer figure is only indicative, as it rests on fewer than 100 respondents.

India second only to China

Across the 11 markets surveyed, India ranks second for overall AI shopping adoption. In India, 76 per cent of consumers use AI tools for shopping, compared with 80 per cent in China and a global average of 53 per cent. The survey covered about 21,000 consumers in markets including India, China, the United States and the United Kingdom.

"Countries with the highest AI adoption rates see that trend carry over across generations," McKinsey said.

Trust is high, but younger users are warier

Confidence in the tools is also strong in India: 87 per cent of AI users said they trust AI chat and search tools, against a global average of 73 per cent.

Globally, millennials and Gen Z lead on adoption, at 63 per cent and 62 per cent respectively, both above the 53 per cent average. Trust among younger users is lower, though. "Despite Gen Z's relatively high usage of AI, Gen Zers tend to be more skeptical of AI on average," the report said. Only 67 per cent of Gen Z AI users globally trust AI chat and search tools, below the 73 per cent overall figure.

For retailers and platforms in India, the data points to a large audience already comfortable letting AI help guide purchases, spanning several generations rather than just the youngest shoppers.