India sees tiny pool of forward-deployed engineers despite surging AI demand, report finds

According to the ‘India’s FDE Opportunity Report 2026’, enterprises are rapidly integrating AI, prompting a projected rise in demand for Forward Deployed Engineers (FDEs). The report, based on responses from more than 1,000 engineers and 200 hiring decision-makers, found that 88% of surveyed companies anticipate greater need for FDE capabilities by 2030, but only 1% of engineers currently work in dedicated FDE positions.

Eighty percent of existing FDEs report annual salaries up to ₹1 crore. Hiring intentions are strongest among multinational corporations (77%) and global capability centres (61%), with half of Indian-headquartered firms and startups also planning hires within 12 months. While only 5% of firms have formal FDE titles, 56% already perform similar work under other designations, and 98% expect the role to become mainstream. The study also highlighted skill gaps in production deployment and customer engagement, and noted a typical salary premium expectation of 21-30% for FDEs.