Bengaluru leads India’s AI talent race, but smaller cities are catching up
The India AI Workforce Report 2026 by Scaler found that Bengaluru was followed by Pune, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Chennai as India’s top five AI talent hubs.
- Jun 18, 2026,
- Updated Jun 18, 2026 9:59 AM IST
Bengaluru continues to dominate India’s artificial intelligence (AI) talent landscape, accounting for 19% of AI learners in the country, according to the India AI Workforce Report 2026 by Scaler.
The report found that Bengaluru was followed by Pune, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Chennai as India’s top five AI talent hubs. But the larger shift is that India’s AI skilling story is no longer limited to traditional technology centres.
Nearly one in five AI learners now comes from Tier-II cities such as Lucknow, Jaipur, Patna, Indore, Coimbatore and Nagpur, signalling a broader spread of AI learning beyond metro markets. The report said this points to the “growing democratisation of AI talent across India”.
The findings come at a time when AI is moving from experimentation to mainstream workplace adoption. Scaler said AI is no longer restricted to software engineers or technology teams, with professionals across industries using it to improve productivity, move into higher-value roles and accelerate career progression.
The report said more than 50% of AI-enabled career outcomes now lie outside traditional engineering roles, spanning leadership, consulting, HR, marketing, finance, academia and other business functions. Nearly 25% of learners now come from non-technical fields, suggesting that AI is becoming a broader workforce capability rather than a niche technical skill.
Software Engineer emerged as the most common AI career outcome at 34.77%, followed by Engineering Leadership at 17.51%. Consulting also saw a significant rise, with outcomes nearly doubling from 3.1% of learners at entry to 5.65% of overall professional outcomes.
“India is home to one of the world's largest pools of technology talent, a thriving digital ecosystem, and an ambitious young workforce eager to learn and adapt. What excites us most about this report is where real transformation is taking root: in Tier II cities, among women professionals, and across functions far beyond engineering,” said Abhimanyu Saxena, Co-founder, Scaler.
He added, “AI is creating new pathways to opportunity, accelerating career growth, and enabling professionals to command a stronger compensation outcome. At a time when much of the conversation around AI focuses on job displacement, the findings tell a different story. For those who embrace AI skills, the technology is proving to be a creator of opportunity, and not a destroyer of jobs. India's AI talent story is becoming more inclusive, more distributed, and more impactful with every passing year.”
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Bengaluru continues to dominate India’s artificial intelligence (AI) talent landscape, accounting for 19% of AI learners in the country, according to the India AI Workforce Report 2026 by Scaler.
The report found that Bengaluru was followed by Pune, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Chennai as India’s top five AI talent hubs. But the larger shift is that India’s AI skilling story is no longer limited to traditional technology centres.
Nearly one in five AI learners now comes from Tier-II cities such as Lucknow, Jaipur, Patna, Indore, Coimbatore and Nagpur, signalling a broader spread of AI learning beyond metro markets. The report said this points to the “growing democratisation of AI talent across India”.
The findings come at a time when AI is moving from experimentation to mainstream workplace adoption. Scaler said AI is no longer restricted to software engineers or technology teams, with professionals across industries using it to improve productivity, move into higher-value roles and accelerate career progression.
The report said more than 50% of AI-enabled career outcomes now lie outside traditional engineering roles, spanning leadership, consulting, HR, marketing, finance, academia and other business functions. Nearly 25% of learners now come from non-technical fields, suggesting that AI is becoming a broader workforce capability rather than a niche technical skill.
Software Engineer emerged as the most common AI career outcome at 34.77%, followed by Engineering Leadership at 17.51%. Consulting also saw a significant rise, with outcomes nearly doubling from 3.1% of learners at entry to 5.65% of overall professional outcomes.
“India is home to one of the world's largest pools of technology talent, a thriving digital ecosystem, and an ambitious young workforce eager to learn and adapt. What excites us most about this report is where real transformation is taking root: in Tier II cities, among women professionals, and across functions far beyond engineering,” said Abhimanyu Saxena, Co-founder, Scaler.
He added, “AI is creating new pathways to opportunity, accelerating career growth, and enabling professionals to command a stronger compensation outcome. At a time when much of the conversation around AI focuses on job displacement, the findings tell a different story. For those who embrace AI skills, the technology is proving to be a creator of opportunity, and not a destroyer of jobs. India's AI talent story is becoming more inclusive, more distributed, and more impactful with every passing year.”
For Unparalleled coverage of India's Businesses and Economy – Subscribe to Business Today Magazine