The Rise of Agentic AI: Devendra Dhawale Reimagines The Future Of Board Decision-Making
Devendra Dhawale, Executive Partner at Gartner, presented a powerful and insightful presentation at the India Boards Conclave National Conference, hosted by Board Stewardship at the iconic National Stock Exchange (NSE) in Mumbai. With the theme “Enabling Future Boards”, the conclave brought together leaders in governance, AI, and sustainability to explore how Boards must evolve into data-driven, agentic ecosystems.
Dhawale delivered a sharp and forward-looking presentation that urged business leaders to shift their lens from a VUCA world to a BANI one—Brittle, Anxious, Non-linear, and Incomprehensible. In this fast-changing environment, he emphasised, AI is no longer an option but the operating backbone of modern organisations.
“AI is not the future—it is already the foundation of finance, risk, taxation, and technology. All technologies today are reinventing themselves to become AI-enabled,” Dhawale noted as he broke down the types of AI most businesses encounter: embedded AI, industry-specific AI, and built AI.
He spotlighted agentic AI as the next frontier, where digital agents don’t just assist but act with autonomy, making real-time decisions with minimal human intervention. “Agentic AI means giving machines the ability to decide and act. But the big question is, ‘Are our organisations mature enough to trust machines when we still struggle to trust our own people?”
Drawing parallels between organisational culture and technology adoption, he pointed out that India’s hierarchical work structures could pose a major hurdle. “If every decision still climbs the ladder, agentic AI can’t thrive,” he said.
His most vivid example: a future where an Apple Watch doesn’t just detect your stress but automatically calls an ambulance, books a hospital bed, and clears your insurance—all without human interference. “That’s not science fiction—it’s organisational readiness meeting technological possibility.”
Fireside Chat on Business Value Drivers for Agentic AI
Further in a riveting fireside chat with Shailesh Haribhakti, Non-Executive Chairman & Independent Director on multiple Boards, and Dhawale explored how agentic AI is redefining productivity, risk, and boardroom roles in today’s BANI world.
Haribhakti opened the conversation with a series of provocative questions: “How do we partner with autonomous machines? How will AI impact trust and productivity? And are boards truly prepared for this transformation?” Dhawale responded with stark clarity: “Whether you like it or not, automation is happening. Boards must ask: What percentage of decisions in our organisation are made using AI—and how do we scale that from 5% to 15% or more?”
He highlighted that agentic AI isn’t a buzzword but a strategy that can drive 18–20% productivity improvements—provided organisations rethink structure, roles, and decision-making norms. “We must stop treating AI like a technology rollout. It changes behaviour—and behaviour change is complex,” he stressed.
The conversation also turned toward the rise of machine customers—like HP printers autonomously managing their own ink supplies. “Soon, bots will negotiate loans and insurance and perform dynamic financial tasks. That’s the level of intelligence Boards must be ready to govern,” Dhawale said.
On cybersecurity and data privacy, he warned of blurred lines of accountability in AI-driven ecosystems. “We must designate risk custodians—not just CROs or legal teams—who understand tech risks at the code level,” he said.
As a final insight, Dhawale spoke of “information overflux”—a future where performance dashboards are automated but risk drowning leaders in data. “Agentic AI will make us proactive, not reactive. But only if governance evolves alongside.”
The dialogue closed with a call for Boards to view AI not as IT, but as a strategic governance imperative.
