India is currently facing a significant deficit in cybersecurity professionals, with about 350,000 individuals employed in the sector and an estimated demand of nearly one million. This gap poses risks to critical infrastructures, including power grids and financial systems, especially as cyber threats become increasingly sophisticated, leveraging advancements in artificial intelligence (AI).
Despite the growing opportunities and competitive salaries, which average around ₹20 lakh annually for experienced engineers and can reach up to ₹60 lakh, the workforce is not expanding quickly enough to meet industry requirements. As of 2023, close to 300,000 engineers are working in cybersecurity roles, highlighting the inadequacy in growth to address the escalating needs.
Aditya Verma, a cybersecurity expert, warns that many cyber attacks are now automated due to AI, leading to heightened vulnerabilities for enterprises. He advocates for a comprehensive approach to training, suggesting the formation of a dedicated cyber cadre to develop skilled professionals capable of filling critical roles, such as Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs).
The urgency for trained cybersecurity engineers is underscored by projections from the Data Security Council of India's 2025 Cyber Threat Report, which anticipates a rise in behavior-based cyber threat detections from 13 million in 2022 to approximately 54 million by the end of 2024, marking a more than fourfold increase.