AI, security skills reshape tech jobs across India’s cities

India's technology job market is shifting towards advanced artificial intelligence governance, prompt engineering and cybersecurity roles, with tier-2 cities emerging as significant hubs for next-generation digital skills, according to a new study by Randstad Digital.

The Randstad Digital Technology Skills Insights Report: India outlines a decisive move away from a market anchored mainly in traditional software and enterprise platforms. It describes a workforce that relies on legacy skills, but which is rapidly reorganising around AI-centric and security-focused functions.

Foundational skills such as Java, Salesforce and Agile still account for close to one third of IT roles in India. The report states that this base now sits alongside rising demand for AI and machine learning engineers, data scientists and AI governance specialists.

Randstad Digital expects demand for these AI-led roles to increase sharply in 2026. The company links this trend with growing adoption of generative AI and with greater regulatory and ethical scrutiny of automated systems.

Cybersecurity hiring is also entering a new phase. The report says AI-driven threats are pushing enterprises to rebuild security operations around data-intensive monitoring and response. This shift is generating opportunities for forensic analysts, AI security experts, ethical hackers and incident responders.

Three-layer AI model

The study describes three layers of AI maturity in Indian organisations: Assisted Intelligence, Augmented Intelligence and Autonomous Intelligence. Each layer requires separate types of expertise.

Under the AI Governance and Ethics layer, the report notes a marked increase in demand for specialists in governance, ethics and compliance. These roles focus on data integrity and algorithmic bias, and on alignment with emerging regulatory frameworks for automated decision-making.

Prompt Engineering and Generative AI form a second focus area. Randstad Digital reports double-digit growth in skills linked with large language model orchestration, prompt engineering and human-AI interaction.

The company says these skills support accuracy and security in generative AI deployments. They also underpin context-aware applications in areas such as content generation, customer interaction and internal knowledge management.

The third area covers Cybersecurity and Cloud FinOps. The report states that cybersecurity in India is evolving into a discipline that draws more heavily on data science. Employers are seeking Security Engineers, Cloud Security Architects and AI Risk Analysts who can work with telemetry data, behavioural analytics and AI-driven monitoring tools.

Cloud FinOps expertise is also gaining traction. Randstad Digital links this with companies that run AI workloads on cloud infrastructure and that are scrutinising expenditure and utilisation more closely.

Shifting tech map

The study says India's digital talent geography is undergoing a structural shift. Tier-1 cities such as Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune and Chennai still lead on volume of hiring and continue to dominate demand for AI and machine learning engineering, advanced data science, cloud architecture and cybersecurity.

Bengaluru accounts for 35.88% of demand for these roles, according to the report. The city remains the primary hub for advanced AI and cloud skills, backed by large global capability centres and domestic technology firms.

At the same time, several tier-2 cities are gaining prominence as specialised talent clusters. The report identifies Chandigarh, Visakhapatnam, Coimbatore, Indore, Jaipur and Kochi as emerging centres for niche and advanced roles in AI, cloud and security.

Randstad Digital says this pattern points to a more distributed, multi-city talent ecosystem over the next decade. It notes that tier-2 locations are taking on a more strategic role in digital innovation and in the development of new technical disciplines.

Companies are using these hubs for specialised teams and for functions that combine AI development with governance and security. The report links this with factors such as lower operating costs and improved local education pipelines, as well as the wider adoption of remote and hybrid work models.

The findings indicate that organisations in India are rebalancing their workforces. They are retaining core software and platform skills while expanding hiring in areas that sit at the intersection of AI, risk, and regulation.

The report also underlines the impact of human-machine collaboration on job design. It signals a move towards roles that blend technical knowledge with policy, legal and ethical responsibilities.

Speaking about the changes, Milind Shah, Managing Director, Randstad Digital India, said the country's technology workforce is undergoing a structural redefinition.

"We are witnessing the most profound redefinition of work in a generation. By 2026, ubiquitous AI and deeper human-machine collaboration will make every role a technology role. AI is no longer a support technology; it's the strategic foundation of business. Organisations today need professionals who can not only build AI systems but also govern and secure them responsibly - balancing innovation with ethics, compliance, and trust," said Shah.