GenAI talent crunch: Just 1 qualified engineer for every 10 jobs
India's digital economy is hungry for AI pros, but there just aren't enough to go around.
According to TeamLease Digital's Digital Skills & Salary Primer 2025-26 report, for every 10 open GenAI jobs, there's only one qualified engineer.
The gap could widen to 53% by 2026—which could slow down business ambitions—even as the country's AI market races toward $28.8 billion this year with a rapid 45% growth rate.
Salaries are soaring for GenAI skills
With Global Capability Centres (GCCs) leading the charge for AI and cloud skills, paychecks are getting fatter for those with the right expertise.
Senior GenAI engineers can earn up to ₹60 lakh a year, cybersecurity roles fetch up to ₹55 lakh, and cloud architects can make ₹45 lakh.
But if you're in traditional IT? Salaries are mostly flat as demand shifts toward newer tech—making upskilling more important than ever.