Most Bangladeshi CEOs optimistic about mid-term business growth: PwC survey
At the same time, nearly three in ten CEOs describe themselves as only moderately confident
Highlights:
- Bangladesh outpaces regional peers in AI use
- 40% of firms have AI roadmaps
- Skills shortage hinders AI expansion
- Three-quarters of firms enter new sectors with AI
- Most new ventures yet to deliver major revenue
Most business leaders in Bangladesh are optimistic about their medium-term revenue prospects and domestic economic growth, a survey says.
Half of the Bangladesh CEOs surveyed say they are very or extremely confident about their company's revenue growth over the next three years. The confidence is close to the global average and higher than the responses from Southeast Asia, according to the Bangladesh edition of PricewaterhouseCoopers' (PwC) 29th CEO Survey.
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At the same time, nearly three in ten CEOs describe themselves as only moderately confident.
The survey suggests that Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly becoming a driver of business growth in Bangladesh, with one in five chief executives saying the technology has boosted company revenues and one in four reporting lower costs.
However, enterprise-wide adoption of AI remains limited.
About 40% of CEOs said their organisations have a clear AI roadmap, while fewer than one in five believe their AI tools have access to all relevant company data.
A lack of formal governance, limited investment and shortages of technical talent continue to hinder wider adoption.
AK Khan and Company Ltd Group CEO Asif Bhuiyan said, "AI at enterprise scale is no longer a side experiment; it is the backbone of how we plan to grow across sectors.
"But to move beyond pilots, Bangladeshi companies like ours must first get the basics right: a clear AI roadmap, the right data infrastructure and governance that works in our context."
PwC surveyed 45 CEOs in Bangladesh between 30 September and 10 November last year.
Impact on jobs
The survey said some junior and mid-level roles are expected to shrink as AI adoption expands, while senior positions are more likely to be augmented rather than replaced.
It highlighted the need for targeted reskilling and workforce transition strategies.
Alongside the growth of AI, Bangladeshi businesses are showing a strong appetite for diversification.
Nearly three-quarters of CEOs said their companies had entered new sectors over the past five years, almost double the global average.
The survey said the trend reflects efforts to reduce concentration risk and tap emerging opportunities in a rapidly changing economic environment.
However, the financial returns from diversification remain modest. Only 15% of CEOs said more than one-fifth of their revenue comes from new sectors, suggesting many companies are still in the early stages of expansion.
The report noted that successful reinvention requires a clear understanding of the capabilities needed to compete in new sectors and careful decisions on whether those capabilities should be developed internally, acquired or accessed through partnerships.
Despite the challenges, the survey found that Bangladeshi CEOs remain optimistic.
Many reported increasing market share and expressed confidence in domestic economic growth despite global uncertainty and inflationary pressures.
