AI Tech News / Only 16% Of IT Pros in India Have AI Skills; GenAI Developers Now Earn Up To Rs 34.5 LPA
·1 hour ago·3 min read
Key Points
India's technology sector faces a significant shortage of skilled professionals in Generative AI and cloud technologies, with talent gaps ranging between 53% and 60%, according to a TeamLease Digital report.
New Delhi, Sep 29: India’s rapidly expanding technology sector is facing a significant shortage of skilled professionals in Generative AI (GenAI) and cloud technologies, with talent gaps ranging between 53 per cent and 60 per cent, according to a report released on Tuesday.
The report by talent solutions firm TeamLease Digital found that cloud computing has the widest supply gap among the four skill families, at 55–60 per cent, while GenAI faces a shortfall of around 53 per cent.
Despite the growing demand for AI expertise, only about 16 per cent of IT professionals currently possess AI skills, the report said. It added that demand for GenAI talent is expected to exceed 10 lakh roles by 2026, while the cybersecurity talent gap has narrowed to 25–30 per cent.
It analysed 37,000 technology and digital roles, and found that the talent gap is shaping delivery models, hiring and salaries in Indian technology firms across AI-Core, AI-Adjacent and AI-Support roles.
The report by talent solutions firm TeamLease Digital found that cloud computing has the widest supply gap among the four skill families, at 55–60 per cent, while GenAI faces a shortfall of around 53 per cent.
Despite the growing demand for AI expertise, only about 16 per cent of IT professionals currently possess AI skills, the report said. It added that demand for GenAI talent is expected to exceed 10 lakh roles by 2026, while the cybersecurity talent gap has narrowed to 25–30 per cent.
It analysed 37,000 technology and digital roles, and found that the talent gap is shaping delivery models, hiring and salaries in Indian technology firms across AI-Core, AI-Adjacent and AI-Support roles.
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Only about 16 per cent of IT professionals hold AI skills, while 20 lakh professionals have been upskilled; only about 3 lakh have advanced AI skills.
The report divided AI roles into three tiers — AI‑Core, AI‑Adjacent and AI‑Support — and showed that of 16 premium roles identified across AI, data, cloud and cybersecurity, four are AI‑Core and 12 are AI‑Adjacent, while none are AI‑Support. The mix indicated that the entry layer in tech firms is compressing rather than being repriced.
The shortage of specialised skills is also driving higher salary premiums for AI-focused and product-critical engineering roles, with the trend becoming visible from the early stages of a career.
According to the report, a GenAI Developer in an AI-Core role earns an average of Rs 11.2 lakh per annum (LPA) with 0–2 years of experience, rising to Rs 34.5 LPA at 6–8 years. A Data Engineer in the AI-Adjacent category sees pay increase from Rs 9.1 LPA to Rs 29.6 LPA over the same experience range, while a Technical Support Engineer in the AI-Support category moves from Rs 5.2 LPA to Rs 14.6 LPA.
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The trend extends to senior positions, with the highest salaries concentrated in roles involved in scaling, securing and operationalising AI platforms.
The report divided AI roles into three tiers — AI‑Core, AI‑Adjacent and AI‑Support — and showed that of 16 premium roles identified across AI, data, cloud and cybersecurity, four are AI‑Core and 12 are AI‑Adjacent, while none are AI‑Support. The mix indicated that the entry layer in tech firms is compressing rather than being repriced.
The shortage of specialised skills is also driving higher salary premiums for AI-focused and product-critical engineering roles, with the trend becoming visible from the early stages of a career.
According to the report, a GenAI Developer in an AI-Core role earns an average of Rs 11.2 lakh per annum (LPA) with 0–2 years of experience, rising to Rs 34.5 LPA at 6–8 years. A Data Engineer in the AI-Adjacent category sees pay increase from Rs 9.1 LPA to Rs 29.6 LPA over the same experience range, while a Technical Support Engineer in the AI-Support category moves from Rs 5.2 LPA to Rs 14.6 LPA.
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The trend extends to senior positions, with the highest salaries concentrated in roles involved in scaling, securing and operationalising AI platforms.
An ML Platform Architect with 15 years of experience commands Rs 94.8 LPA, while a Platform Engineering Manager earns Rs 75.6 LPA. A QA Automation Lead earns Rs 38.4 LPA, with projected FY28 salary growth of 16 per cent, 13.4 per cent and 7.8 per cent, respectively, for the three roles.
“Salary premiums sit where proximity to the AI stack meets domain knowledge, and where human skills like creativity and adaptability come in, especially as close to 39 per cent of core skills are expected to change by 2030,” said Neeti Sharma, CEO, TeamLease Digital.
(IANS)
“Salary premiums sit where proximity to the AI stack meets domain knowledge, and where human skills like creativity and adaptability come in, especially as close to 39 per cent of core skills are expected to change by 2030,” said Neeti Sharma, CEO, TeamLease Digital.
(IANS)