Key takeaways
- Shift focus to high-demand roles in AI, cloud, and cybersecurity for lucrative salaries.
- Legacy IT roles see stagnant pay, highlighting a transition to modern digital competencies.
- Global capability centres are set to create over 1.2 million new tech jobs by 2027.
- Address widening talent gap with large-scale upskilling to meet digital workforce demands.
- India's digital economy expected to contribute nearly one-fifth of GDP by 2030.
Even as India’s digital economy surges ahead, traditional IT roles such as support and legacy system maintenance are showing no growth in salaries, the latest Digital Skills and Salary Primer Report for FY2025-26 shared by TeamLease Digital has revealed.
The report finds that salaries for IT support are nearly flat, rising only from ₹10.5 lakh per annum (LPA) to ₹11 LPA by FY2027. Legacy systems maintenance is completely stagnant at ₹12 LPA. This trend signals a clear shift towards cloud-native platforms, AI-driven roles and outsourced service models.
In contrast, high-demand areas such as GenAI, cloud and cybersecurity are driving record salaries. Senior professionals in GenAI engineering and MLOps can now command ₹58–60 LPA, while cybersecurity experts are expected to see pay rise from ₹28 to ₹33.5 LPA by FY2027.
“India’s digital economy is at a pivotal juncture, with AI, cloud and cybersecurity redefining the future of work,” Neeti Sharma, CEO of TeamLease Digital, said. “GCCs alone now contribute 22–25% of net new white-collar tech jobs and account for 30–35% of AI hiring nationwide. Generative AI engineering and MLOps professionals are commanding premium salaries of ₹58–60 LPA for senior talent.”
The report highlights that global capability centres (GCCs) will be a major driver of this demand, adding over 1.2 million new tech jobs by 2027. At the same time, India’s overall digital economy is projected to grow twice as fast as the rest of the economy, contributing nearly one-fifth of GDP by 2030.
However, the widening talent gap remains a concern. For every 10 open GenAI roles, only one qualified engineer is available. Without large-scale upskilling, enterprises may struggle to meet their digital ambitions.
While AI, cloud, and cybersecurity roles are setting new benchmarks, the stagnation of legacy IT functions underlines the changing priorities of India’s digital economy. Companies are clearly investing in the future and leaving behind roles that no longer add strategic value.
