Gartner cybersecurity spending India 2026 to grow

Cybersecurity investment in India is expected to rise significantly as organisations respond to evolving digital risks and stricter regulatory demands. According to new projections, Gartner cybersecurity spending India 2026 will reach approximately $3.4 billion, reflecting an 11.7 percent increase compared with 2025.

The projected growth reflects a combination of factors including expanding digital operations, growing cyberattack sophistication and compliance requirements under emerging data protection regulations. Enterprises are also adapting to a threat landscape shaped by artificial intelligence and identity-based cyberattacks.

AI-driven threats reshape security priorities

The Gartner cybersecurity spending India 2026 outlook highlights how artificial intelligence is influencing both cyber threats and defence strategies.

Shailendra Upadhyay, Senior Principal at Gartner, said organisations are adjusting their security posture to address increasingly complex threats.

“Security spending in India is set to grow in 2026 as enterprises confront increasingly sophisticated AI driven threats and comply with more stringent regulatory requirements,” Upadhyay said.

He added that many chief information security officers are moving away from static defence models and adopting more adaptive and proactive security strategies.

Indian security leaders are particularly focused on threats targeting identity systems. Credential compromise and fraud enabled by deepfake technologies are expanding the potential attack surface across enterprise environments.

Because of this shift, identity-based threat detection and response is becoming a priority area for many organisations.

Identity security rises on executive agendas

The Gartner cybersecurity spending India 2026 forecast indicates that identity-first security strategies are gaining importance across enterprises.

Identity-based attacks are becoming more frequent and more complex, requiring organisations to strengthen controls around authentication, identity management and access governance.

This shift is also being reinforced by regulatory requirements. India’s Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act is encouraging organisations to strengthen identity and access management systems in order to meet compliance obligations.

As a result, identity protection and monitoring tools are increasingly becoming part of core cybersecurity strategies.

Security software remains largest spending segment

According to the Gartner cybersecurity spending India 2026 outlook, security software will remain both the largest and fastest-growing segment of the market.

Spending in this category is expected to grow 12.4 percent in 2026 as organisations invest in stronger infrastructure protection and cloud security capabilities.

Companies are increasing their adoption of technologies such as:

• Endpoint protection platforms (EPP)

• Security information and event management (SIEM) systems

• Cloud security solutions

These technologies are becoming essential as enterprises expand digital operations and move more workloads to cloud-based environments.

Security strategies are also evolving to include AI-specific protection measures. Cloud security is increasingly addressing AI runtime environments and configuration risks, reflecting the growing use of AI applications in enterprise systems.

Managed security services see rising demand

Another key component of the Gartner cybersecurity spending India 2026 forecast is growth in security services.

Spending in this category is expected to increase 11.1 percent in 2026. Within this segment, managed security services represent the fastest-growing subcategory with an estimated 15.1 percent growth rate.

Upadhyay noted that many organisations are turning to managed services to address the growing complexity of cybersecurity operations.

“Indian enterprises are adopting managed detection and response and other managed services as they look for scalable, cost-efficient solutions to navigate the increasing complexity of cyber threats,” he said.

Managed services can help organisations maintain strong security capabilities without investing heavily in in-house infrastructure or specialised cybersecurity personnel.

Demand is also rising for advisory services in areas such as incident response, forensic investigations and security architecture design.

Changing role of CISOs in a complex environment

The Gartner cybersecurity spending India 2026 analysis also highlights the changing responsibilities of cybersecurity leaders.

Indian CISOs are expected to operate in a rapidly evolving threat landscape shaped by AI-powered attacks, expanding digital ecosystems and increasing regulatory oversight.

Alex Michaels, Director Analyst at Gartner, said regulatory complexity is becoming a major challenge for organisations.

“The implementation of India’s DPDP Act, combined with emerging AI regulations across global markets, is increasing compliance complexity and placing new accountability pressures on CISOs,” Michaels said.

Regulatory expectations are expanding beyond traditional cybersecurity responsibilities, requiring organisations to address data governance, operational resilience and cross-border regulatory frameworks.

Cyber resilience becomes a strategic priority

The Gartner cybersecurity spending India 2026 outlook suggests that organisations must focus on building resilience in response to geopolitical uncertainty and shifting regulatory frameworks.

Security leaders are increasingly expected to coordinate with legal, procurement and business teams to ensure organisations remain compliant with changing regulatory requirements.

Gartner advises organisations to move beyond IT-centric security programs and adopt cross-functional approaches to managing cyber risk.

Identity management challenges in the age of AI

Another emerging challenge highlighted in the Gartner cybersecurity spending India 2026 outlook is the rise of agentic AI systems.

These systems introduce new complexities in identity and access management. Autonomous AI agents operating within enterprise environments require clear identity registration processes, automated credential management and policy-based authorisation controls.

Without these controls, organisations may face new risks related to access management and system governance.

To address these challenges, Gartner recommends that organisations adopt a risk-driven investment strategy. This approach prioritises the most critical vulnerabilities while using automation to strengthen security controls.

Such strategies are intended to support innovation while maintaining compliance and protecting sensitive digital assets.

Cybersecurity investment continues to expand

The Gartner cybersecurity spending India 2026 projection reflects a broader trend in enterprise technology spending. As organisations expand digital infrastructure and adopt advanced technologies, cybersecurity investment is becoming a foundational requirement.

Enterprises are increasingly treating security not only as a defensive capability but also as an enabler of business innovation, particularly in environments driven by data, AI and cloud computing.