AI Engineer Salary Benchmark: India 2026
From entry-level prompt engineers to staff ML leads, here is what the Indian AI talent market is really paying in 2026.
The Indian AI talent market re-priced itself again in 2026. Based on 1,200 mandates closed at Maity Infrastructure between Q4-2025 and Q1-2026, here is the most current view.
Entry level (0–2 years)
Median total comp for an entry-level ML engineer is now ₹18-22 LPA, up 14% YoY. Tier-1 product companies are paying a 30-40% premium over services firms.
Mid-level (3–6 years)
Senior MLEs in core-product roles command ₹38-55 LPA. RAG, evals, and inference-cost optimisation skills push 20% above band.
Lead & Staff (7-12 years)
Staff AI engineers and ML leads with platform ownership land between ₹80 LPA and ₹1.6 Cr fixed, with another 25-40% in ESOPs.
Directors and AI Heads
Heads of AI at Series C+ startups now expect ₹2.2-3.5 Cr in cash plus board-visible equity. Counter-offer aggressiveness is the highest we have seen.
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