Forward deployed engineering roles set to top India's engineering pay

Business Oct 25, 2026

Thinking about a future in tech?

Forward Deployed Engineering (FDE) roles are set to become India's top-paying engineering jobs, with 80% of engineers in explicit FDE roles reporting annual incomes ranging from ₹40 lakh to ₹1 crore.

Thanks to the AI boom, 88% of enterprises expect demand for FDE capabilities to grow by 2030.

Only 1% of engineers are FDEs

FDEs are the bridge between AI and real-world business needs. They work hands-on with customers to turn AI ideas into practical solutions.

But here's the catch: only 1% of engineers are in these roles right now, and most don't know how to get there, even though over half say they're interested.

With companies hungry for applied AI talent, learning these skills could open doors to some seriously rewarding careers.