AI-skilled freshers using workflow automation, earning up to Rs 22 LPA, depicted by a professional in a modern office.

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AI‑skilled freshers with workflow automation earn 35‑40%...

AI‑skilled freshers with workflow automation earn 35‑40% more, up to Rs 22 LPA

February 1, 2026 • 2 min read

Why are new graduates suddenly eyeing AI roles that promise salaries near Rs 22 LPA? In India’s IT corridors, the conversation has shifted from generic coding gigs to niche capabilities that sit at the intersection of large‑language models and workflow automation. Recruiters are flagging a clear premium for candidates who can craft prompts, stitch together data pipelines, and spin up lightweight copilots that streamline client deliveries.

The payoff isn’t marginal; reports suggest a 35‑40 % uplift over traditional entry‑level packages, pushing annual earnings into the mid‑twenties‑lakh bracket. Yet most hiring briefs still list generic software skills, leaving fresh talent in the dark about the real demand. The most lucrative openings sit at what insiders call the “AI‑native” layer, where the very structure of project delivery is being re‑engineered.

Other high‑demand skills include—

Sharma adds, "Freshers with practical AI skills such as prompt design, workflow automation, data prep, and building simple copilots are earning far more. 35-40% salary premium."

Sharma adds, "Freshers with practical AI skills such as prompt design, workflow automation, data prep, and building simple copilots are earning far more. 35-40% salary premium." The highest premiums sit at the AI-native layer, where delivery changes structurally. "Other high-demand skills include chunking strategies for RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation) systems, embedding optimisation, prompt templating, retrieval scoring, and access policy enforcement," Gogia says.

"There's also a growing premium on LLMOps." LLMOps is heavily focused on governance, evaluating metrics, prompt drift, and QA of agent behaviour over technical deployment. "Freshers are not hired to build AI models from scratch," he says. "They are hired for applied AI delivery skills that can be deployed immediately on projects." He highlights that roles involving prompt chaining, workflow automation, data preparation, output validation, basic agent building, and bias awareness will fetch higher pay.

What Indian IT is Not Telling Freshers About ₹22 LPA AI Jobs - Analytics India Magazine

Will the premium persist? The data shows a clear split. A thin elite of AI‑ready freshers are pulling salaries up to ₹22 lakh, while the majority earn roughly ₹3.5–4 lakh.

Infosys and HCLTech have publicly advertised packages of ₹21 lakh and ₹22 lakh respectively, signalling that companies are willing to reward practical AI abilities. Sharma notes that skills such as prompt design, workflow automation, data preparation, and building simple copilots command a 35‑40 % salary premium. Consequently, compensation is increasingly tied to AI competence, and the AI‑native layer appears to command the highest premiums as delivery models shift, forcing firms to rethink traditional billing structures.

Yet it remains unclear how many new graduates will acquire those specific capabilities within a short time frame, or whether the premium will broaden beyond the current thin elite. The broader market still reflects modest entry‑level pay, suggesting that the promise of AI‑driven earnings may be limited to a small segment for now. Companies appear to be differentiating pay, but the long‑term impact on overall fresher remuneration is uncertain.

AI‑skilled freshers with workflow automation earn 35‑40%...

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