Forward-Deployed Engineer Talent in India Clusters in Bengaluru, with Hyderabad Growing

A new report said India’s forward-deployed engineer (FDE) workforce was mainly based in a few major tech hubs. Bengaluru remained the biggest centre, holding 34 per cent of the national FDE talent pool. The study also flagged Hyderabad as a rising location. The report was titled The Forward Deployed Engineer Talent Landscape in India.

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The report said Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Delhi-NCR together made up 61 per cent of India’s FDE talent. It placed Hyderabad at 14 per cent and Delhi-NCR at 13 per cent. Pune was listed at 12 per cent, while Mumbai stood at 11 per cent. Chennai and other cities were each put at 8 per cent.

FDE talent hubs in India

FDE Academy, which published the report, described Hyderabad as an emerging FDE hub. The report linked this growth to higher enterprise technology investment in the city. It also pointed to a larger set of AI-led roles. The report added that Hyderabad’s talent ecosystem was getting stronger.

FDE talent hiring mix in India

The report broke down FDE employment by company type. Big Tech firms employed 38 per cent of FDE professionals. Product companies accounted for 24 per cent of the workforce. IT services firms also made up 24 per cent. Consulting firms were put at 24 per cent, while AI-first startups were listed at 14 per cent.

FDE talent experience levels in India

The report said the talent base was relatively early in career terms. About 70 per cent of FDE professionals had eight years of experience or less. It said this trend showed a need for a larger group of senior talent. The report suggested building deeper experience over time across the ecosystem.

FDE talent and AI deployment in India

"AI deployment requires a combination of engineering depth, business understanding and the ability to take ownership of outcomes in a customers environment,\" said Raghav Gupta, Founder and CEO at FDE Academy. Gupta said the city-heavy spread of FDE talent mattered for hiring plans. Gupta added that employers should focus on building capability over time, not only locations.

Overall, the report said India’s FDE talent stayed clustered in a small number of cities. Bengaluru led the distribution, while Hyderabad was identified as growing fast. It also showed how different company types shared the FDE workforce. The study added that experience gaps could shape how employers build and retain this talent.

With inputs from PTI