Indian Cybersecurity Sector’s Urgent Need: 40,000 Job Openings But 30% Skill Gap

A recent research study has revealed that the cybersecurity industry in India has around 40,000 job openings as of May 2023 but the demand-supply gap stands at a massive 30 per cent.

This concerning gap is despite India's burgeoning cybersecurity market, which is projected to reach a staggering USD 3.5 billion by 2027, boasting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.05 per cent. This discrepancy presents a critical challenge that needs to be addressed to ensure a secure digital landscape for Indian businesses.

The revelation comes even as the number of cyberattacks climb exponentially in the country with each passing year. Recently, AIIMS Delhi was targeted in a cyberattack. Similarly, CoWin data was leaked by a Telegram bot and made available publicly by bad actors. 

Indian organisations experienced a substantial 18 per cent increase in weekly attacks in Q1 2023 compared to the previous year, with over 2,000 attacks recorded. The healthcare sector, in particular, was targeted with 7.7 per cent of attacks directed towards it.

“There were 40,000 jobs available as of May 2023, but the skill gap remains. There is an urgent need for upskilling the workforce and hiring qualified professionals,” said Sunil Chemmankotil, Chief Executive Officer, TeamLease Digital.

The TeamLease Digital research study also identified several key job roles in high demand, including IT auditor, Information Security analyst, Network/IT Security Engineer/Specialist, Security Testing/Penetration Tester, and Computer Forensics analyst. 

The base salary for professionals with 0-3 years of experience ranges from Rs 3-6 lakh. Furthermore, mid and senior-level cybersecurity experts with over 12 years of experience have the potential to earn annual salaries within the range of Rs 50-80 lakh. Payscale of cybersecurity professionals in India | Courtesy: TeamLease Digital

Brain Drain

But industry experts say that the pay scale for cybersecurity professionals in the country is below par in comparison to global standards. 

Last year, Harshil Doshi, Country Manager (India and SAARC) at Securonix, told BW Businessworld that there was a lot of demand for cybersecurity professionals all over the world and a lot of the supply came from India, which meant that there was a lot of brain drain happening.

“[..] the kind of pay scales and recognition that cybersecurity analysts get in the country is lax. So, most of them invariably start looking out for opportunities outside India,” Doshi said in an interview. 

“Having worked in the cybersecurity industry for the last 18 years, I have to say with a heavy heart, almost 90 per cent of the great cybersecurity minds I have worked with in India have eventually moved abroad,” he added. 

Addressing Skill Gap

To bridge the skill gap and effectively counter cyber threats, the TeamLease study emphasised the importance of upskilling the workforce with specialised knowledge in areas such as data privacy, cloud security, AI security and network security. Additionally, soft skills like problem-solving, communication, teamwork and collaboration are deemed essential in this field.

Krishna Vij, Business Head of IT Staffing at TeamLease Digital, emphasised that the cybersecurity industry urgently needs professionals skilled in Networking & System Administration, Cloud Security, Blockchain Security, Ethical Hacking and other key areas. 

“By empowering professionals with the necessary skills, we can bridge the talent gap and bolster the resilience of our cybersecurity defences,” she said.