Investment banking capabilities drove the highest salary packages in India’s BFSI sector in 2025, Careernet said in a new study released on 9 December 2025. The company analysed pay trends across capability centres to show why technology-heavy roles now command premium compensation.
What changed in investment banking capabilities
The study reported that capability centres linked to investment banking capabilities paid more than those in retail banking, commercial banking and insurance. The shift was driven by increased demand for digital skills and the wider use of technology in core banking operations.
Careernet found that salaries rose across job levels as firms expanded technology functions that support trading systems, risk platforms and large-scale data environments.
Impact on BFSI talent and hiring
Roles that require both banking knowledge and engineering skills saw the steepest rise. Pay for data scientists in investment banking ranged from ₹22.1 lakh to ₹46.9 lakh. In retail banking, the same roles earned ₹19.9 lakh to ₹44.5 lakh. Insurance companies offered ₹18.4 lakh to ₹44.3 lakh.Full-stack developers linked to investment banking capabilities earned between ₹20.7 lakh at entry level and ₹47.5 lakh in senior technical positions. Big data engineers, DevOps staff and cybersecurity specialists also saw higher pay brackets, reflecting the growing reliance on advanced architecture and system resilience.
Agile roles showed uneven patterns. Product owners and scrum masters received elevated compensation in investment banking, while insurance firms continued with slower increments.
How the new salary landscape works
Careernet based the assessment on data from 50,000 employees during the 2025–26 fiscal year. The analysis covered hybrid roles and technology functions across India’s investment banking, financial services, retail banking, commercial banking and insurance capability centres.
Investment banking capabilities recorded faster growth because digital systems are now tied to mission-critical functions such as market analytics, operational continuity and product pipelines. The report linked higher salaries to the scarcity of niche skills that support these systems.
What’s next for the investment banking sector?
The findings indicate that investment banking capabilities are reshaping pay structures across India’s BFSI sector. Global banks with centres in India expanded technology teams during the fiscal year and raised salaries to secure specialised digital talent. Careernet said the trends reflect the way capability centres now compete for engineers with financial domain expertise.
