Archive · 21 Jan 2026
India Faces Severe Cybersecurity Talent Shortage Amid Rising AI Threats
India doesn't have enough skilled engineers to protect important things like power grids and banks from cyber attacks.
These attacks are getting smarter because of artificial intelligence (AI).
Right now, there are about 350,000 cybersecurity professionals, but India needs one million.
The number of cyber threats has increased a lot, from 13 million to 54 million in just two years.
Even though salaries are good, there aren't enough people with the right skills.
The government is trying to help by offering training programs, but the problem is still big.
Experts say we need more long-term courses and better training to fix this issue.
India has a shortage of 650,000 cybersecurity engineers, with only 350,000 professionals available to meet a demand of 1,000,000.
AI-driven cyber threats have increased significantly, with behaviour-based threat detections rising from 13 million to 54 million between 2022 and 2024.
Salaries for cybersecurity professionals are competitive, ranging from ₹20 lakh to ₹60 lakh per annum, but the skill gap remains significant.
The government is addressing the talent gap through initiatives like the Certified Security Professional for Artificial Intelligence (CSPAI) program.
Experts emphasize the need for more comprehensive and long-term cybersecurity training programs to meet the growing demand.
- Who
- India's cybersecurity professionals and industry stakeholders
- What
- A severe shortage of skilled cybersecurity engineers in India
- When
- The demand and shortage have been persistent, with recent data up to 2024
- Where
- Across India, affecting vital assets like power grids, telecom networks, banks, and government systems
- Why
- Due to the increasing sophistication of cyber threats fueled by AI and the reactive nature of cyber defense
- Current Cybersecurity Professionals
- 350,000
- Demand for Cybersecurity Engineers
- 1,000,000
- Cybersecurity Engineers in 2023
- 300,000
- Behaviour-Based Cyber Threat Detections (2022-2024)
- 13 million to 54 million
- Average Salary for 5-Year Experienced Engineer
- ₹20 lakh per annum
- Average Salary for 10-Year Experienced Engineer
- ₹60 lakh per annum
- Government Training Program
- Certified Security Professional for Artificial Intelligence (CSPAI)