Gartner: AI threats and DPDP to push India’s security spend to $3.4B

India’s cybersecurity spending is set to accelerate sharply in 2026 as enterprises confront AI-driven threats, rising identity fraud, and stricter regulatory mandates under the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act. According to Gartner, end-user spending on information security in India is expected to reach $3.4 billion in 2026, marking an 11.7% increase over 2025, as organisations shift from reactive protection to more adaptive, identity-centric security strategies.

The forecast reflects a broader change in how Indian enterprises view cybersecurity — no longer as a technology function alone, but as a business risk that directly affects trust, compliance, and operational continuity.

“Security spending in India is set to grow as enterprises confront increasingly sophisticated AI-driven threats while also complying with more stringent regulatory requirements,” said Shailendra Upadhyay, Sr Principal at Gartner.
“CISOs are making a strategic shift toward dynamic and pre-emptive defence models, with identity-first security moving ...