Bengaluru, Pune, Hyderabad, Mumbai, and Chennai remain at the forefront of India’s artificial intelligence workforce, collectively accounting for over one-third of the country’s AI talent. However, Tier II cities are rapidly emerging as significant contributors, marking a shift in the nation’s AI landscape.
- Top five metros cover over a third of AI talent in India
- Tier II cities contribute nearly one-fifth of AI learners
- Women see a 145% average pay increase after moving into AI roles
What happened
The India AI Workforce Report 2026 by Scaler found that Bengaluru leads with 19% share of the country's AI learners, followed by Pune at 7%, Mumbai and Hyderabad at 4% each, and Chennai at 3%. Collectively, these five cities make up more than one-third of India’s AI-skilled workforce. The report analyzed career outcomes of 11,444 AI learners nationwide, monitoring their industry placement, roles, and salary changes after upskilling.
A notable development is the growing representation from Tier II cities such as Lucknow, Patna, Jaipur, Indore, and Nagpur, which now contribute nearly 20% of AI learners. This data indicates that AI skill acquisition and career opportunities are spreading beyond India’s primary metropolitan areas, reflecting a broader geographic dispersion of AI talent across the country.
Why it matters
The AI workforce in India is diversifying significantly. More than half of AI-enabled roles fall outside core engineering, encompassing leadership, consulting, human resources, and data science. This crossover expands the scope of AI integration across multiple business functions, making AI a multidisciplinary career pathway.
Additionally, the report highlights a positive impact on women working in AI. Women reported an average salary increase of 145% upon entering AI-related roles, often surpassing the pay growth experienced by their male counterparts. Furthermore, AI upskilling accelerated career advancement, with one in four learners moving into leadership positions, which average very high compensation, underscoring AI’s role as an enabler of career growth and pay equity.
What to watch next
As AI adoption spreads deeper into Tier II cities and functional roles beyond engineering grow, monitoring how these trends influence regional economic development and talent retention will be critical. Increased opportunities in smaller cities could reshape India’s tech ecosystem by decentralizing talent concentration from traditional metros.
Also important to watch is the continuing evolution of gender dynamics within the AI workforce. The substantial pay gains and leadership movement among women could signal a significant shift in the industry’s inclusivity and diversity, potentially influencing recruitments, policies, and organizational cultures across India’s AI sector.