With rising investments in automation and digital transformation, Ahmedabad’s SMBs redefine how they operate, hire, and grow
GUJARAT, AHMEDABAD | 19th NOVEMBER 2025 — Ahmedabad’s small and medium businesses (SMBs) are entering their most confident decade yet. New LinkedIn research finds that 96% SMBs in Ahmedabad are already investing in or planning AI adoption, indicating how technology has moved from experiment to infrastructure. At the same time 94% of SMB decision-makers expect business growth in the next 12 months – signalling a sector that’s not just hopeful but rebuilding around smarter systems, skilled talent, and trusted digital platforms.
For Ahmedabad’s SMBs, evolution is survival, not optional
Behind their confidence lies urgency. AI is no longer a buzzword, but the new baseline for growth. The research shows that 60% of the SMBs in Ahmedabad believe digital transformation is critical to survival, 58% view AI and automation as essential to stay competitive, and 52% cite operational efficiency as key to protecting margins.
Kumaresh Pattabiraman, Country Manager, LinkedIn India said, “Ahmedabad’s small and medium businesses are pioneering the future of growth: they are ambitious, technologically advanced, and focused on building successful companies. We’re seeing a significant shift towards integrating digital tools, hiring skilled talent and building operational efficiency. At LinkedIn, we are committed to fuel this expansion by linking entrepreneurs with the right network, the right clients, and the right talent, all in one place, to help them thrive in a digital-first economy.”
AI becomes the operating system for growth
AI has become the engine behind how Ahmedabad’s SMBs hire, market and grow. Nearly all surveyed businesses say they use it to strengthen analytics and business intelligence (94%), automate workflows (92%) and streamline marketing and sales (over 90%).
Hiring models are being rebuilt, valuing skills over degrees. SMBs in the city now value digital literacy and AI fluency (66%), digital communication (58%) and problem solving and critical thinking (56%), over traditional qualifications. To find this talent, 70% already use AI hiring tools, citing improving candidate quality and higher engagement.
Marketing and sales, too, are becoming intelligence-driven in Ahmedabad. 81% of SMBs use AI marketing tools, with 85% investing up to half their budgets in them. 78% now rely on AI in sales for sharper targeting and automated follow-ups, allowing them to operate with the sophistication of larger enterprises.
Rahul Karthikeyan, Chief Marketing Officer, Scaler said,“Scaler’s recent campaigns have seen strong performance through precise audience targeting and data-driven optimisation. Sponsored Content, especially vertical formats, delivered a 20% higher lead-to-payment conversion than static formats on other channels. In August alone, LinkedIn generated about 70–80 new payments with a return on spend (RoS) of 2.2. We plan to further scale this high-impact channel while maintaining cost-per-sale efficiency.”
Trust is the new competitive advantage
Even as they adopt AI at speed, Ahmedabad’s SMBs are highly discerning about the tools they adopt. Their decisions are driven more by credibility and trust than by cost or convenience, with top priorities including data security (83%), cost effectiveness and ROI (76%) and seamless integration (74%). Together, these choices reflect a smarter, more resilient SMB ecosystem – one that is not just adapting to the AI era, but actively shaping it.
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