“As cyber attacks and data privacy risks continue to rise, both in frequency and impact, Indian organisations must not only strengthen their resilience but adapt quickly to these accelerated challenges” Rishi Mehra, CEO of India, for Aon
Mumbai: Indian firms ranked cyber attacks or data breaches as their top business risk, with AI and climate change as future business risks by 2028, a report said on Wednesday.
Talent attraction and retention challenges persist, while property damage and exchange rate fluctuation are more pronounced in India than the rest of Asia, the report from global professional services firm Aon said.
Aon plc today released the India findings of its 2025 Global Risk Management Survey, revealing the country is navigating a landscape marked by digital disruption, talent challenges and regulatory complexity.
The biennial survey, which gathered insights from nearly 3,000 risk managers, C-suite leaders and executives across 63 countries, highlights how risk priorities are evolving globally in response to technological, economic and geopolitical forces.
2025 Top 10 Business Risks in India are–Cyber Attacks/Data Breach,Economic Slowdown/Slow Recovery,Business Interruption,Data Privacy (including GDPR),Requirements/Non-Compliance,Failure to Attract or Retain Top Talent,Regulatory/Legislative Changes,Property Damage,Cash Flow/Liquidity Risk,Exchange Rate Fluctuation,Damage to Reputation/Brand
“Indian businesses are demonstrating remarkable agility in the face of digital disruption, talent adaptability and geopolitical shifts,” said Rishi Mehra, CEO of India, for Aon.
“As cyber attacks and data privacy risks continue to rise, both in frequency and impact, organisations must not only strengthen their resilience but adapt quickly to these accelerated challenges. By investing in robust risk management strategies and fostering a forward-thinking mindset, Indian companies can better navigate today’s complex environment and position themselves for long-term success,”he said
According to Aon’s report,Indian businesses have faced substantial losses from their most critical risks, with 77.8 percent of respondents reporting losses due to property damage and 46.2 percent due to business interruption, while 63.6 percent reported that they were impacted by exchange rate fluctuations.
Talent challenges and cash flow/liquidity risks have also resulted in losses for nearly half of the respondents. In response, Indian businesses are increasingly formalising their risk management strategies: 70 percent of respondents have established dedicated risk management and insurance departments while 64.9 percent actively measure the total cost of insurable risk — most noting rising costs, said the repport.
Mitigation efforts are robust, with 92.9 percent having plans and formal reviews for cyber attacks, 90.9 percent for property damage and more than half addressing talent retention (55 percent) and data privacy risks (64.7 percent). Organisations rely on a mix of expert advice, benchmarking and scenario planning, while a growing number (91.9 percent) are turning to captive insurance solutions to strengthen financial resilience and risk transfer capabilities.