42% vs 5%
42% expect to give AI agents autonomy by 2030. 5% have the controls today.
Expect agent autonomy by 203042%
Have the controls today5%
BCG, Sept 2026 · Global
What the source measured
42% expect to give AI agents genuine autonomy by 2030; only 5% have the full set of controls in place today.
What it means for Indian businesses
If you plan to let agents act alone, set up logging and approvals before the first one ships.
An agent that can send an email, change a record or release a batch needs the same controls as a new employee: limited access, a log of what it did, and someone who signs off on decisions that matter.
We build those controls in from the first deployment: role-based access, an audit trail per agent, and approval steps for anything customer-facing or regulated. In pharma, that is the difference between a pilot and something QA will accept.
Governance for regulated plants