Nearly all 97% of B2B marketers in India believe their companies’ future growth depends on influencing younger decision-makers, including Gen Z and millennials, according to new research from LinkedIn.

The study, conducted by Censuswide among 6,196 B2B marketers across 12 markets, including India, examines how marketers are adapting their strategies as younger professionals gain greater influence over business buying decisions.

The research finds that 95% of Indian B2B marketers believe Gen Z buyers are more likely to consider a brand when someone in their professional community validates it. Expert voices are the most preferred content format, with 44% of marketers saying Gen Z is most likely to engage with expert-led content, followed by short-form immersive video at 40%.

The findings also point to a growing emphasis on credibility as AI changes how buyers discover and evaluate brands. 82% of Indian B2B marketers say brand credibility is becoming more important than visibility, while 84% believe brands need to be present on trusted professional networks to establish credibility and support AI-driven discovery.

The research was conducted by Censuswide between 21 July and 6 August 2026, among B2B marketers at junior manager level and above across the UK, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Australia, US, Netherlands, India, Singapore, France, Germany, Italy and Brazil.

The study included 6,196 respondents, with a minimum quota of 150 respondents aged 18 to 29 in each market.

Other highlights from the report:

• 75% of Indian B2B marketers who currently work with expert voices say this content is more effective than traditional campaigns at moving audiences from awareness to consideration.
• 42% say campaigns using expert voices have their greatest impact at the awareness and consideration stages.
• 69% expect their organisations to increase investment in AI search optimisation over the next 12 months.
• 58% expect investment in expert-led content to increase over the same period.
• LinkedIn says adoption of its Thought Leader Ads has grown by nearly 40% year on year, with the format delivering up to 2x higher click-through rates than comparable single-image ads.
• A campaign by Rippling that used more than 300 customers to share their experiences with its AI products generated a 5.8x return on total campaign investment and 38% higher engagement rates than LinkedIn benchmarks.

Sachin Sharma, head - LinkedIn Marketing Solutions, India, says, “AI is changing how buyers discover brands, but it hasn't changed how they build confidence in a decision. Buyers still look to experts, peers, and communities they trust. As younger decision-makers take on greater influence, credibility is becoming as important as visibility. The brands that stand out will be the ones that combine the scale of AI with the trust that comes from real expertise.”