PMI Unveils Blueprint for Enterprises to Bridge the Strategy-Execution Gap and Safeguard Digital Transformation

New research reveals that only 50% of projects currently succeed, the M.O.R.E. approach from Project Management Institute, more than triples success rates in a world of constant reinvention

New Delhi, 08 Jan 2026– Project Management Institute (PMI), the world’s leading authority in project management, has released new research that directly links the global strategy-execution gap to how organizations run projects, revealing a clear pathway to improve the odds that transformation efforts pay off dramatically.

The report, Step Up: Redefining the Path to Project Success with M.O.R.E. conducted with 5,800 respondents globally, arrives as organisations globally including India, face unrelenting pressure to reinvent themselves. In a parallel global survey of senior executives, 35% identified a disconnect between planning and execution as one of the biggest barriers to reinvention, underscoring how the strategy-execution gap is widening at the very moment organisations need to transform fastest.

Only half of projects succeed – putting transformation at risk.

The study revealed that just half of today’s projects meet the modern definition of success: delivering value that exceeds the effort and expense involved as perceived by all stakeholders. Thirteen percent of projects fail outright and 37% only partially deliver the expected results.

“As Indian industries spearhead rapid transformation—driven by GenAI adoption, digital public infrastructure, and sustainability mandates—we cannot afford to settle for a coin-toss probability of success. A 50% success rate poses a significant risk to the capital and effort fuelling India’s growth story. Organizations need to harness the elements of M.O.R.E. to reverse this trend and harness GenAI’s transformative potential,” said Amit Goyal, Managing Director, South Asia, Project Management Institute (PMI). “To stay globally competitive and fully unlock the value of their strategic investments, Indian organisations and project professionals must embrace and apply the M.O.R.E. elements, thereby maximising project success and elevating our world, as reflected in the Net Project Success Score.”, added Goyal.

Industry Standard: Net Project Success Score (NPSS)

The industry standard Net Project Success Score (NPSS) is an industry standard metric that captures the effectiveness of project delivery by measuring the percentage of successful projects minus the percentage of outright failures.  When project professionals apply all four elements, project performance improves dramatically. Net Project Success Score jumps from 27 when none of the M.O.R.E. elements are used to 94 when all four are consistently applied. M.O.R.E. interventions are proven to improve outcomes for at-risk projects. Despite this, the report found that currently very few project professionals apply the framework holistically.

From research insight to global movement

PMI is embedding M.O.R.E. across its products, learning experiences, and community initiatives to help organizations apply the findings at scale. This includes new learning journeys, updated standards defining success by value, and expanded recognition for teams exemplifying the M.O.R.E. mindset.

“For Indian enterprises, reinvention is now a continuous journey rather than a one-time event. Consequently, project success has escalated from an operational metric to a critical boardroom agenda,” concluded Amit Goyal. “Closing the strategy-execution gap starts with a paradigm shift in how we lead and measure value. M.O.R.E. gives Indian leaders and professionals the robust blueprint needed to ensure consistency and drive high-impact outcomes.”