Strategy And Planning

IT companies build elite AI coder squads, pay freshers up to ₹25 lakh

July 6, 2026
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  • Published On Jul 7, 2026 at 12:04 AM IST

< />In a broader hiring shift in tech industry, firms are assembling elite squads of programmers, offering entry-level salaries of ₹10 lakh to ₹25 lakh as competition intensifies for GenAI and full-stack engineering talent. <br><br><!– PROMOSLOT_M –>Bengaluru: Indian IT firms are assembling elite squads of programmers, offering entry-level salaries of ₹10 lakh to ₹25 lakh as competition intensifies for GenAI and full-stack engineering talent. The premium hiring reflects a broader shift in India’s IT industry. Instead of recruiting large numbers of generalist engineers, companies are identifying a smaller pool of high-potential graduates, paying significantly higher salaries and placing them on fast-track AI career paths to build AI-led solutions.<br><br><!– PROMOSLOT_M –><div class=” article-detail-ad-slot=”” captionrendered=”1″ data-src=”https://etimg.etb2bimg.com/photo/132224178.cms” height=”442″ loading=”eager” src=”https://hr.economictimes.indiatimes.com/images/default.jpg” width=”590″></img></p> </div> <p>Cognizant, for instance, has raised the salary bar for fresh engineering graduates through its Ace full-stack AI engineer programme, joining peers such as TCS, Infosys, Wipro and HCLTech in offering premium compensation for AI-first talent. The company is offering annual salaries of ₹12 lakh for associates and ₹18 lakh for senior associates, well above conventional entry-level IT pay.</p> <p>Fresh hires will work alongside senior full-stack engineers to build enterprise AI applications powered by large language models (LLMs), agentic AI frameworks and predictive algorithms, gaining hands-on experience in developing production-grade AI solutions.</p> <p>Cognizant has also introduced two AI-native roles—frontier certified engineer and frontier business operator. Frontier certified engineers will help clients redesign business processes for the AI era by combining strategic consulting with technical expertise, while Frontier Business Operators will manage blended workforces of people, AI agents and automation to drive business outcomes. The company said these roles aim to build an AI-native workforce capable of delivering business transformation, not just software development.</p> <p>Infosys has also revised compensation for its specialist programmer (trainee) roles, offering ₹21 lakh for Level 3, ₹16 lakh for Level 2 and ₹10 lakh for Level 1, along with a ₹1 lakh joining bonus. TCS has expanded its premium Prime hiring programme, offering undergraduate freshers ₹9 lakh-9.3 lakh annually and postgraduate hires ₹11.5 lakh-11.8 lakh, with compensation rising to ₹12.3 lakh for candidates with one to two years of experience.</p> <p>HCLTech is also stepping up hiring for specialised AI talent through its Elite Cadre programme, which offers annual compensation of ₹18 lakh to ₹22 lakh. “Elite engineers currently account for about 15 per cent of our fresher intake, with compensation levels that are three to four times standard entry-level salaries,” CEO C Vijayakumar said during an earnings call. </p> <div> <div> <ul> <li><a href=TNN

  • Published On Jul 7, 2026 at 12:04 AM IST

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