# Bengaluru Leads India’s AI Talent Race

> Bengaluru dominates India’s AI deployment talent with 34%, while Hyderabad grows as FDE demand shifts beyond coding.
- Title: Bengaluru Leads India’s AI Talent Race · Financialexpress
- Summary: Bengaluru dominates India’s AI deployment talent with 34%, while Hyderabad grows as FDE demand shifts beyond coding.
- Keywords: bengaluru, hyderabad, forward deployed engineering talent, ai deployment, fde academy, ai job postings, ai salaries, Financialexpress
- Source: Financialexpress — https://financialexpress.com/business/news/bengaluru-leads-indias-forward-deployed-engineering-talent-race-hyderabad-gains-ground/4381029
- Author: Anjana PV
- Published: 2026-11-10T17:13:42+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: bengaluru, hyderabad, forward deployed engineering talent, ai deployment, fde academy, ai job postings, ai salaries, business, money, news
## Bengaluru leads India’s FDE talent
Bengaluru accounts for 34% of India’s forward deployed engineering talent, with Hyderabad at 14% and Delhi NCR at 13%.
## Hyderabad gains ground in AI talent
Hyderabad is emerging as an important centre for forward deployed engineering talent, supported by expanding enterprise technology investments.
## Talent distribution across regions
The remaining talent is distributed across Pune (12%), Mumbai (11%), and Chennai and other cities (8% each).
## Employer types in FDE talent
Big Tech companies account for 38% of FDE talent, while product companies and IT services each account for 24%.
## AI hiring shifts beyond coding
Customer and consulting skills feature in 98% of FDE job postings, with core engineering skills in 94% and cloud/AI operations in 84%.
## Experience and salary trends
FDE professionals earn a median salary of Rs 32 lakh for zero to three years and Rs 1.55 crore for over 15 years of experience.
## Talent pool age gap
70% of FDE professionals have eight years or less of experience, indicating a need for senior talent development.
## Raghav Gupta’s insights
AI deployment requires engineering depth, business understanding, and ownership of outcomes in customer environments.

> AI deployment requires a combination of engineering depth, business understanding and the ability to take ownership of outcomes in a customer’s environment.
## Key takeaway

Bengaluru holds 34% of India’s forward deployed engineering talent, with Hyderabad gaining ground as companies seek AI professionals who integrate solutions into business operations.