AI jobs: Bengaluru leads, Delhi NCR follows as AI hiring clusters in two key Indian hubs, says report

Bengaluru and Delhi-NCR together account for over 50% of India’s AI job postings, making them the country’s two largest artificial intelligence talent hubs. Bengaluru leads AI hiring with a 25.4% share, closely followed by Delhi-NCR at 24.8%, based on an analysis of over 64,500 AI-tagged job listings on Naukri.com.

The findings, released by CBRE Research, highlight the increasing concentration of AI employment in India’s top technology and business centres, underscoring the country’s growing maturity in advanced digital capabilities. The dominance of these two regions reflects not just higher hiring volumes but also their strategic role in shaping how AI is developed, deployed and scaled for both domestic and global enterprises.

Mumbai ranks third among major cities, accounting for 19.2% of total AI-related job postings. Together, Bengaluru, Delhi-NCR and Mumbai contribute nearly 70% of all AI job openings in the country, reinforcing the clustering of high-end technology talent within a handful of urban markets. Other cities such as Hyderabad (12.5%), Pune (9.6%) and Chennai (6.4%) form the next tier of AI employment hubs, while Kolkata accounts for a relatively modest 2.1% share.

According to CBRE, this geographic concentration signals India’s transition from being a back-end technology services provider to an end-to-end innovation hub. “AI has transitioned from a buzzword to a crucial peg in India’s broader economic and infrastructure growth story,” said Anshuman Magazine, Chairman and CEO – India, South-East Asia and MEA, CBRE. He added that global enterprises are increasingly viewing India as a centre for innovation rather than just service delivery, a shift that could redefine the country’s position in the global digital value chain.

Bengaluru’s leadership in AI hiring is closely tied to its status as the Global Capability Centre (GCC) capital of India. In 2025, the city captured more than one-third of the country’s total GCC leasing activity, reflecting strong demand from multinational firms setting up or expanding advanced technology and R&D operations. Delhi-NCR, meanwhile, stands out for its diversified AI demand, driven by consulting, fintech, healthcare and public-sector initiatives rather than IT services alone.

The study also identifies the key functional areas powering AI employment growth. Engineering roles, particularly in software development and quality assurance, remain the foundation of AI hiring, focusing on building core platforms and infrastructure. Data Science and Analytics roles play a critical role in processing large datasets, training models and generating business intelligence, while Customer Success, Service and Operations roles are gaining prominence as AI becomes increasingly embedded in front-end business functions.

CBRE notes that the surge in AI hiring is closely mirrored by record activity in India’s office real estate market. In 2025, total office leasing reached an all-time high of 82.6 million square feet, with Bengaluru leading office absorption at 26%, followed by Mumbai at 18% and Delhi-NCR at 17%. As AI adoption deepens, demand is expected to rise for premium, sustainable and experience-driven office spaces designed to support high-value digital work.

Looking ahead, CBRE expects AI-related hiring to expand into newer domains such as marketing, communications and consulting, particularly in regions like Delhi-NCR, as applications become more sophisticated and integrated across business functions.