A new report from technology education company Scaler and research firm CyberMedia Research indicates that Indian businesses expect rising demand for engineers who can put artificial intelligence into practical use. The Indian Express reported on October 23 that 88% of surveyed enterprises expect demand for forward-deployed engineers to increase by 2030. These professionals work directly with clients to customise and deploy software for specific business needs, combining software engineering, AI implementation and customer engagement.
The report draws on a survey of about 1,000 software engineers and 200 enterprise technology decision-makers across eight metropolitan cities and selected Tier II cities. It found that only around 1% of engineers currently work in forward-deployed engineering roles. Meanwhile, 77% of multinational companies plan to hire for these positions within the next year. Although 58% of surveyed engineers expressed interest in moving into the role, 52% said they did not know how to become a forward-deployed engineer. The report also found that 77% of companies prioritised production deployment skills, while only 19% of respondents considered talent availability in this area adequate.
The findings are relevant to students and job seekers because they point to a possible gap between the AI skills employers need and the training engineers currently receive. Building AI applications involves more than writing code: professionals may also need to integrate systems into business operations, troubleshoot deployments and understand client requirements. The report therefore highlights practical implementation skills alongside technical knowledge.
According to The Indian Express, 80% of engineers working in dedicated forward-deployed engineering roles earn between Rs 40 lakh and Rs 1 crore annually, and these roles are expected to pay up to 30% more than other engineering positions. These figures describe the report's findings rather than a guaranteed salary for new entrants. The report points to structured training and applied experience as important ways to prepare for these emerging roles.