Privacy and identity fears block social robots in Indian retail: IIM-I study

CAUTION | Technological enthusiasm without social sensitivity can backfire

- Atul Gautam

A new study by the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Indore has revealed that psychological and ethical barriers—not technology or cost—are the biggest obstacles preventing Indian retailers from embracing social robots in their businesses.

The study, titled “Exploring Barriers to Social Robot Adoption: A Mixed-Method Study in the Indian Retail Sector”, was coauthored by Prof Prashant Salwan and published in the international journal Technological Forecasting and Social Change.

As artificial intelligence and robotics increasingly enter workplaces, social robots—Al-driven machines capable of interacting with humans—are being deployed globally for customer service, inventory management, and checkout assistance.

While the global social robot market is projected to touch USD 13.3 billion by 2027, adoption in India remains uneven.

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