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India Inc targets 9.1% pay hike in 2026 as skills based pay spreads fast
Economy
Published on 24 April 2026
Top roles now chase skills premiums and long term incentives
India Inc expects average salaries to rise 9.1% in 2026, led by Global Capability Centres at 10.4%. Financial services and e-commerce are also projecting strong growth, while attrition is stabilizing. Companies are increasingly tying pay to skills, with emerging tech roles earning premiums and long-term incentives becoming more common, including for CEOs with performance-linked pay.
- Average salary growth projected at 9.1% for 2026
- Global Capability Centres lead with 10.4% pay increase outlook
- Skills-based compensation is replacing traditional pay bands
- Long-term incentives and performance-linked CEO pay are rising
Read the full story at The Economic Times
This summarization was done by Beige for a story published on 
The Economic Times