New Delhi

India’ssenior leadership market is becoming increasingly fluid, as 94 per cent of executives are open to exploring new career opportunities, according to the Executive Compensation and Talent Trends Report by Page Executive India, part of Michael Page India.

The report, based on a survey of more than 1,200 C-level executives and senior leaders, found that 63 per cent are actively looking for a new role, while 41 per cent do not expect to remain in their current position for more than a year.Executives are seeking faster career progression, broader responsibilities and greater opportunities for impact.

Page Executive India Managing Partner Jon Goldstein said the executive market was not constrained by a lack of talent but by the pace at which organisations could develop and retain it. Senior leaders, he said, were looking for faster progression, greater impact and clearer alignment between performance and reward.

Artificial intelligence is also becoming central to senior leadership roles. The report found that 75 per cent of executives actively use AI in their work. An equal proportion reported higher productivity from the technology, while 72 per cent said it had improved the quality of their work. Nilay Khandelwal, Senior Managing Director, Michael Page India and Singapore, said the conversation around AI was moving from adoption to accountability. Identifying, developing and retaining talent capable of working effectively alongside AI would become an increasingly important leadership priority. On compensation, 65 per cent were satisfied with remuneration, while 87 per cent cited pay as a key driver of job satisfaction. However, the report said compensation alone was no longer enough to retain senior leaders, who were increasingly prioritising career progression and promotion opportunities.

The report also found that skills-based hiring was gaining ground as organisations sought to widen access to talent and reduce bias.

The findings point to a competitive senior talent market in which companies may need clearer career paths and opportunities with emerging technologies to retain experienced leaders.