Experts at BCG, Everest Group and Adecco told ET that profiles like prompt engineer, AI ethicist, AI explainability engineer, generative AI engineer, LLM (large language model) operations engineer, and vector database engineer are in high demand and attracting higher packages than traditional profiles.
The other roles seeing high demand are expert in AI/ML cybersecurity, development and operations and network security, they said.
“We are seeing the coming back of ‘multiple offers scenario’ under several tech roles high in demand, viz cybersecurity, product security, niche roles in GCC, engineering roles, AI and analytics,” said Pranshu Upadhyay, regional director at Michael Page India, a recruitment services firm.
As a result, talent retention for IT roles does remain a concern, said Ankush Wadhera, managing director and partner at BCG. Some more roles such as full stack developers, cloud computing specialists and cloud architect are currently high paying and high in demand, Wadhera said.
According to Yugal Joshi, partner at research firm , Everest Group, organisations are increasingly seeking talent with pie-shaped or comb-shaped skill sets. This talent pool possesses broad foundational knowledge across multiple areas, along with deep expertise in two or more specialised skills.”AI-related roles typically command at least a 15-25% salary premium over traditional IT roles,” Joshi said.
Karthikeyan Kesavan, director of permanent recruitment at Adecco India, a staffing and recruitment services firm, said, “Multiple offer scenarios currently are for hands-on talent in GCC and product space especially for digital tech talent.”
These IT professionals, according to Kesavan, typically have 6 to 12 years of experience in technologies like AI/ML, deep learning, data, cloud, Internet of Things (IoT), SAP, blockchain and cybersecurity. Those who are already serving their notice period are preferred, as they can join faster, said experts.
“They are skilled in advanced tech and are often in the process of changing jobs, making them attractive to companies looking to hire quickly,” he said.
The demand for plain vanilla roles in IT has not increased, which is clearly seen in the appraisal trend for 2025, where the hikes on average are lower or unchanged, hence increasing employee stickiness.
According to Ratna Gupta, senior partner at ABC Consultants, leadership professionals with market facing abilities, combined with strong technical skills are in high demand. “This is despite a subdued environment (in IT),” she said, adding that they are most likely to be in dialogue with more than one organisation simultaneously.