Investment banking talent earns up to ₹47.5 lakh as capability centres surge ahead

Investment banking capability centres are offering the highest salaries across India’s banking, financial services and insurance sector, with senior technology roles earning up to ₹47.5 lakh, according to a new study by Careernet.

The report, titled BFSI Capability Centres in India: Salary Benchmarks and Market Trends, found that investment banking leads the sector with “the steepest salary growth” across job levels. It attributed the sharp rise to firms’ growing digital maturity, the strategic importance of technology in business outcomes and the scarcity of niche technical skills.

Roles that combine banking expertise with deep technology capability recorded the strongest escalation. Careernet’s data shows that data scientists in investment banking earn between ₹22.1 lakh and ₹46.9 lakh annually, compared with ₹19.9 lakh to ₹44.5 lakh in retail banking and ₹18.4 lakh to ₹44.3 lakh in insurance. Full-stack developers command the highest premiums, with compensation rising from ₹20.7 lakh at entry level to ₹47.5 lakh for senior positions responsible for large-scale systems.

The study also observed significant salary gains for big data engineers, DevOps specialists and cybersecurity professionals within investment banking, reflecting banks’ increased reliance on advanced data architecture and resilient technology infrastructure. In contrast, retail banking, commercial banking and financial services reported “steady and consistent” salary growth, with compensation structures more tightly aligned to traditional operating models.

Agile leadership roles such as product owners and scrum masters displayed divergent trends. In investment banking, firms offered meaningful premiums for these positions, while insurance companies maintained more gradual increases, suggesting different levels of technology adoption across segments.

Careernet based its findings on data from 50,000 professionals in the 2025–26 fiscal year across investment banking, retail and commercial banking, financial services and insurance. The analysis covered a range of technical and hybrid roles, with experience levels spanning three to 16 years.

The report suggests that investment banking capability centres are reshaping the salary landscape in India’s financial sector as they compete for specialised digital talent. With technology becoming central to product development, risk management and operational resilience, analysts expect the compensation gap to widen further as global banks scale their India operations and accelerate digital transformation agendas.