India’s Tech Boom: Higher Salaries and More Jobs in AI and Cybersecurity
New Delhi, August 27: Global Capability Centers (GCCs) in India are offering up to 20% higher salaries than traditional IT services. This is due to investments in Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), and cybersecurity, according to TeamLease Digital’s latest report ‘Digital Skills & Salary Primer for FY 2025’.
Growth of GCCs
India currently hosts over 1,600 GCCs employing 1.66 million professionals. The country is expected to welcome 800 new GCCs in the next 5-6 years, making it a global tech hub. GCCs are also expanding to tier-II cities like Kolkata, Ahmedabad, and Vadodara.
IT Sector Growth
In the IT Products & Services sector, cloud investment is set to grow by 25-30% over the next five years. This sector is expected to contribute 8% to India’s GDP by 2026 and create 14 million jobs. Over 70% of companies in sectors like Telecom, Media, BFSI, and Energy are dedicating more than 20% of their technology budgets to digital advancements.
Salary Insights
AI/ML Engineer roles in GCCs start at Rs 8.2 LPA and can reach Rs 43 LPA for senior positions. Big Data Developers in IT Products & Services earn between Rs 9.7 LPA and Rs 20.7 LPA. SAP ABAP Consultant roles in non-tech sectors start at Rs 7.2 LPA, rising to Rs 31 LPA with experience.
City-wise Salary Analysis
Metro cities like Bengaluru, Gurgaon, Hyderabad, Delhi, Mumbai, and Chennai offer the highest salaries for tech roles. Emerging hubs like Jaipur, Indore, and Coimbatore are still evolving, especially in Data Science, Product Management, and Data Engineering.
Future Projections
Neeti Sharma, CEO of TeamLease Digital, stated that the Indian tech industry is on track to reach USD 350 billion in revenue by 2025. Significant investments in AI, machine learning, and blockchain are expected to total over USD 9 billion in 2023. The cloud market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 22% over the next five years, driven by remote work and digital-first strategies.
Gender Representation
India has 20.5 lakh women tech professionals, with the percentage of women in GCCs expected to increase from 25% to 35% by 2027. However, a gender pay gap persists, ranging from 10-17% on average and sometimes reaching 22-30% for roles like Data Analysis.
Doubts Revealed
Global Capability Centers (GCCs) -: GCCs are offices set up by big companies from around the world in India to do important work like tech development and customer support.
AI -: AI stands for Artificial Intelligence. It’s like teaching computers to think and make decisions like humans.
ML -: ML stands for Machine Learning. It’s a way for computers to learn from data and improve their performance over time without being explicitly programmed.
cybersecurity -: Cybersecurity is about protecting computers and networks from bad people who try to steal information or cause harm.
GDP -: GDP stands for Gross Domestic Product. It’s the total value of all goods and services produced in a country in a year.
tier-II cities -: Tier-II cities are smaller cities in India that are growing quickly and becoming important for business and technology.
gender pay gap -: Gender pay gap means that men and women are not paid equally for the same work. In this case, it means women in tech are paid less than men.