India's Developer Boom: Building the Future with AI and Innovation

India's developer community has reached an inflection point. With 17 million developers on GitHub, growing at 28% YoY in 2024, the country stands as the fastest-growing developer base globally. This surge signals a fundamental shift in where innovation takes place, who builds the technology, and how the world's digital future takes shape.

The numbers tell a compelling story. According to GitHub's latest Octoverse report from October 2025, India added more than 5.2 million developers in a single year, accounting for one in every three new developers joining the platform worldwide. That makes India the single largest source of new developer talent on GitHub. By 2028, India is projected to surpass the United States (US) as the world's largest developer community.

A community embracing AI at speed

What sets India's developer community apart is not just its size, but its embrace of artificial intelligence (AI). The adoption rate is striking. Around 80% of new developers on GitHub use GitHub Copilot within their first week, making Artificial Intelligence (AI) an expectation rather than an exception from day one.

India, as of October 2025, ranks as the second-largest contributor to public generative AI projects on GitHub, behind only the US. Contributions to AI-driven projects grew by 79% in 2024. Moreover, India's developer contributions increased by 95% YoY, positioning India third globally, after the US and Hong Kong.

This is no accident. Indian developers are building with AI at the centre, and not as an afterthought. The scale of this AI integration is visible across open-source ecosystems. Projects like ERPNext, which is an open-source software initiative created in India, is contributing to solving real-world problems. Open Healthcare Network, another Indian open-source project, is gaining momentum thanks to tools like GitHub Copilot, with small teams now leveraging generative AI capabilities to accelerate critical initiatives. These are not theoretical experiments. These are developers and teams solving problems in healthcare, agriculture, education, and commerce.

Skills transformation

India's developer boom is not creating jobs of the past; it is creating jobs of the future. According to recent data, the entry-level landscape for engineering in India's information technology (IT) services industry is undergoing profound change. Companies like HCLTech and others are redefining roles by considering generative AI and agentic AI adoption.

Traditional entry-level positions that focus on writing code are evolving. Today, fresh engineering graduates are expected to do more. As one technology leader put it, “New hires should be capable of producing multiple lines of code whilst leveraging AI tools for efficiency, rather than merely writing a single line per minute manually.”

What was previously Level 2 (L2) and L3 level work is increasingly becoming L1. This signals not job losses, but a transformation of roles.

Certain domains command higher salaries and demand more. Cybersecurity offers 10,000 to 15,000 job openings in India, with roles such as network security engineers, penetration testers, cloud security specialists, and threat intelligence leads. Entry-level engineers in cybersecurity are paid between Rs. 4,00,000 to Rs. 8,00,000 annually (US$ 4,511.07 to US$ 9,022.14), rising beyond Rs. 30,00,000 (US$ 33,833) for those with more than eight years of experience.

Cloud-related roles remain equally strong. With ~50,000 job openings across cloud security engineers, cloud architects, DevOps engineers, and cloud compliance managers, freshers start at Rs. 5,00,000 (US$ 5,638) and can exceed Rs. 30,00,000 (US$ 33,833) annually for those with over a decade of experience.

According to NASSCOM, India is expected to create ~2.7 million new and reskilled AI jobs by 2028. These will include data scientists, prompt engineers, AI developers, AI application developers, and cybersecurity professionals.

Policy support and infrastructure

Government initiatives are fuelling this boom. The Digital India program, now in its 10th year, has laid the groundwork. India went from 25 crore internet connections in 2014 to ~97 crore Indians online as of March 2025. Over 42 lakh kilometres of optical fibre cable now connect even remote villages. High-speed internet has reached urban hubs and forward military posts alike, including Galwan, Siachen, and Ladakh.

The IndiaAI Mission, a flagship project, has already unlocked significant momentum. It offers GPU access for less than Rs. 88.67 (US$ 1) around Rs. 67 (US$ 0.76) per GPU hour, making India not only the most affordable internet economy but also the most cost-effective computing destination.

This accessibility is critical. It means developers in small towns, not just Bengaluru and Hyderabad, can access innovative computing infrastructure.

The unicorn effect

The developer talent of India is driving a tech boom that is spreading all over the world. The number of unicorn companies in the country reached 73 as of 2025. This ecosystem includes various sectors: Financial Technology (FinTech), Educational Technology (EdTech), Software as a Service (SaaS), e-commerce, and even new areas like e-mobility and gaming.

SaaS showcases India's product innovation capabilities. Zoho, Freshworks, Postman, and Chargebee have proven that Indian-born platforms can serve global clients and scale profitably.

India's SaaS revenue is projected to reach Rs. 3,10,450 crore (US$ 35 billion) by 2027, according to Bain and Company. This growth is powered by India's deep engineering talent, cost efficiency, and increasing global recognition.

Education as the foundation

India's National Education Policy has been transformative. By mandating coding and AI skills in schools, the policy has significantly contributed to young developers adopting GitHub. India now ranks second globally for GitHub Education users.

GitHub is increasingly treated as one of India's most in-demand skills, sitting alongside foundational subjects like English grammar in early software education.

A large number of skill improvement platforms have appeared. Developers can learn different things such as full-stack development, AI and machine learning, DevOps, and cloud engineering through Coursera, UpGrad, Scaler, and coding bootcamps. The ecosystem supports itself and is growing.

An optimistic trajectory

India's developer boom carries profound implications. GitHub has revised its earlier forecast. The platform previously predicted India would surpass the US as the largest developer community by 2027. That timeline is now expected to extend to 2028, suggesting the pace is even more explosive than previously modelled.

With sustained growth in developer talent and a strong emphasis on AI and open-source contribution, the country is well-placed to continue its ascent in the global technology ecosystem.

The transformation extends beyond raw numbers. India's developer community is actively shaping global software engineering practices. With over 1.6 million professionals across more than 1,700 Global Capability Centres, the country's engineering ecosystem is becoming a hub for AI-driven product development. A NASSCOM and BCG report found that 80% of India-based Global Capability Centres are investing in AI and machine learning capabilities, with 50% actively deploying AI in software pipelines.

India is not just participating in the AI revolution; India may as well be leading it.

FAQs

How many developers does India have on GitHub, and what is the growth rate?

India has 17 million developers on GitHub, growing at 28% YoY as of 2024. India added 5.2 million developers in a single year, making it the world's largest source of new developer talent. India is projected to surpass the United States as the largest developer community by 2028.

Why are Indian developers adopting AI tools at such a high rate?

80% of new Indian developers use GitHub Copilot within their first week. This is driven by affordable GPU access through the IndiaAI Mission, mandated AI and coding skills in schools, and the need to stay competitive in a fast-evolving tech landscape.

What job opportunities are emerging for IT professionals in India?

Cybersecurity offers 10,000 to 15,000 openings with entry-level salaries of Rs. 4 lakh to Rs. 8 lakh annually (US$ 4,510-US$ 9,021). Cloud roles exceed 50,000 openings, starting at Rs. 5 lakh (US$ 5,638). India will create 2.7 million new AI-related jobs by 2028, according to NASSCOM.

How is the Indian government supporting the developer ecosystem?

The Digital India programme has expanded internet connectivity from 25 crore connections in 2014 to 97 crore today. The government has deployed 42 lakh kilometres of optical fibre cable to remote areas. The IndiaAI Mission provides affordable GPU access. The National Education Policy mandates coding and AI skills in schools nationwide.

What makes India's SaaS companies globally competitive?

Indian SaaS companies such as Zoho, Freshworks, Postman, and Chargebee serve clients across 180+ countries. India's SaaS revenue is projected to reach Rs. 3,10,450 crore (US$ 35 billion).