Fewer than one in four Indian respondents say they are “very prepared” to address the totality of all business challenges ahead, lagging all other countries in the APAC region (30 per cent) as well as the global average (32 per cent), according to Kroll’s Global Business Sentiment Survey. In its research, the global financial and risk advisory solutions provider surveyed business leaders in the APAC region, including Australia, China, Hong Kong (separate from China), India, Japan and Singapore. Indian business leaders flagged concerns about tariffs, technology controls, cybercrime and supply chain disruptions as among their top concerns.

Indian business leaders also reported the lowest level of confidence in financial health across the region, and nearly half (48 per cent) acknowledged that the situation had either not changed or worsened versus one year ago, the survey noted.

Tarun Bhatia, Managing Director and Co-Head APAC, Investigations Diligence and Compliance, Kroll, said, “Rapid-fire events are reshaping the global economy and jolting the business environment in real time. Add in escalating political tensions, growing cybersecurity threats and accelerating AI advancements, and it’s clear that 2025 has already delivered unprecedented challenges for even the most seasoned global business leaders.”

“Additionally, the weaponising of tariffs have many companies concerned about the impact on their businesses, including around valuation, supply chain, locational strategies, cost optimisation, compliance and investment or divestment considerations,” he added.

The Survey revealed that overall India shows the lowest preparedness levels in the region across multiple business challenges. More than half (56 per cent) say their level of preparedness for the year ahead is either the same or lower than it was over the previous year.

“Less than one-quarter of Indian business leaders are very prepared to face the geopolitical challenges that lie ahead, on par with Japanese respondents but lagging the rest of the region. India respondents who identified geopolitical tension as a significant business concern (28 per cent) said that tariffs, technology controls and/or cybercrime, supply chain disruptions, regulatory shifts and workforce migration all factored into their worries,” the report noted.

In terms of financial health, Only 24 per cent of Indian business leaders feel “very prepared” to address budget challenges they may face over the coming year. Nearly three in ten (28 per cent), feel very prepared to face debt service and financial risk, mirroring responses in Australia but lagging the rest of the region. “Financial stability is the chief reason that those feeling very prepared to face business challenges feel so secure (47 per cent), with skilled workforce a distant second (26 per cent).

Similarly, only 28 per cent of India respondents feel very prepared to face cybersecurity challenges, second in their lack of confidence to only Hong Kong, and tied with Australia.

Published on June 17, 2025