Industry 5.0 reflects a human-centric evolution of digital transformation, integrating advanced technologies with human intelligence to create more adaptive and personalised systems. This study examines the relationships among consumer awareness, technological readiness, perception of human–machine collaboration, and future readiness within India’s emerging digital ecosystem. A quantitative survey of 265 respondents was conducted using a structured online questionnaire. Reliability coefficients ranged from 0.75 to 0.93, confirming strong internal consistency across all constructs. General Linear Model (GLM) and mediation analysis revealed that both awareness and readiness significantly influence perceptions of human–machine collaboration. Perception strongly predicts future readiness and mediates the impact of both awareness and readiness on long-term digital trust. However, awareness alone did not directly influence future readiness, indicating the importance of experiential and perception-driven factors. The findings highlight the need for digital literacy initiatives, transparent AI communication, and human-centric interface design to improve consumer acceptance of Industry 5.0 technologies....