Bengaluru has cemented its position as Asia-Pacific’s (APAC) largest tech talent hub, alongside Beijing and Shanghai, according to a recent report by real estate consultancy CBRE. With a tech workforce surpassing one million, the city stands out not only in APAC but also as one of the top 12 global tech talent markets.
Bengaluru leads India in artificial intelligence (AI) talent, placing it on par with global tech clusters such as San Francisco and New York. The report highlights that AI talent is primarily concentrated in the U.S. and India, with the U.K. trailing behind. While demand for AI professionals is accelerating fastest in Poland, the U.S., and Germany, India remains a key talent reservoir.
Globally, tech talent is largely embedded within high-tech services and manufacturing sectors—spanning software, cloud computing, hardware, and social media. Labour costs form the bulk of operational expenses for tech firms, followed by real estate. Notably, Bengaluru offers the lowest average compensation for software engineers among the top 12 tech markets—$40,967 per annum—making it the only one under the $100,000 mark. In contrast, San Francisco tops the list at $184,593.
Demographically, Bengaluru ranks fourth among these leading tech cities in terms of working-age population share, with 75.5% of its population in this segment. Between 2019 and 2024, the city saw a 2.4% growth in its working-age demographic—among the highest globally.
However, the report points to India’s low educational attainment rate at just 14.2%, ranking it 35th globally, highlighting a critical gap in formal higher education despite the country’s vast talent base.
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