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    Forward Deployed Engineering careers in India

    FDE Salary Estimator · Free

    Forward Deployed Engineer (FDE) salary in India, 2026

    Estimate what a Forward Deployed Engineer earns in India for your experience, target company type and city. Every number links to its source, and real employer-posted pay sits right next to the estimate. Updated 8 November 2026.

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    Indicative FDE pay
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    Real listings that match
      How this is calculated
      1. Your experience band gives a typical range: the median of the low ends and the median of the high ends of the published benchmarks below.
      2. Company type and city each get a factor, from how that type or city compares with the average in the same source (Taggd). The two are averaged so they don't stack.
      3. The result stays inside the lowest and highest figures any source gives for your band, rounded to ₹0.5 LPA. Real listings are shown unadjusted.

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      FDE salary in India by experience

      Published estimates disagree a lot, especially at entry level. We show each one, then the typical range we use: the median low and median high across all of them.

      ExperienceTaggdSecond TalentScalerQuess, via Deccan HeraldTypical (median)
      0–2 years₹18–28 LPA₹6–14 LPA₹18–25 LPA₹18–28 LPA₹18–26.5 LPA
      3–6 years₹30–50 LPA₹14–28 LPA₹30–65 LPA₹30–50 LPA₹30–50 LPA
      7–10 years₹50–80 LPA₹28–65 LPA₹65–120 LPA—₹50–80 LPA
      10+ years₹90–150 LPA₹55–100 LPA——₹72.5–125 LPA
      Typical FDE pay in India by experience 0–2 years: 18–26.5 LPA; 3–6 years: 30–50 LPA; 7–10 years: 50–80 LPA; 10+ years: 72.5–125 LPA. Source: Taggd, Second Talent, Scaler, Quess, via Deccan Herald (2026) Typical FDE pay in India by experience Median of published benchmarks, ₹ lakh per annum 0–2 years18–26.5 LPA3–6 years30–50 LPA7–10 years50–80 LPA10+ years72.5–125 LPA Source: Taggd, Second Talent, Scaler, Quess, via Deccan Herald (2026) FDE INDIA

      What employers actually post vs what guides say

      This is where most salary guides mislead freshers. Benchmarks put entry-level FDE pay at ₹18–26.5 LPA, but the fresher-tagged FDE listings we tracked in Oct 2026 posted ₹4–15 LPA. Higher bands do exist, mostly at funded AI startups, GCCs and global product companies, and they ask for proof you have shipped real systems.

      CompanyRoleCityExperiencePosted pay
      AscendionForward Deployed Engineer (hybrid)ChennaiNot stated₹6–8 LPA
      SycamoreForward Deployed & Product EngineerBengaluruNot stated₹28–36 LPA
      KeyrusForward Deployed Engineer (Pune or Bengaluru, hybrid)India / remoteNot stated₹45–70 LPA
      Zorba AIForward Deployed Engineer - AI AgentsBengaluruNot stated₹10–25 LPA
      DevRevForward Deployed EngineerMumbaiNot stated₹28–36 LPA
      Newpage SolutionsForward Deployed EngineerChennaiNot stated₹6.5–14 LPA
      Genrise.aiForward Deployed EngineerIndia / remoteNot stated₹3.5–8 LPA
      CartesiaFounding Forward Deployed Engineer (India)BengaluruNot stated₹70–90 LPA
      Antino LabsForward Deployed EngineerIndia / remoteNot stated₹30–40 LPA
      KeyrusAI-native business analyst / FDEBengaluruNot stated₹22–34 LPA
      Kuber and CompanyForward Deployed EngineerMumbaiNot stated₹20–50 LPA
      VIVANETForward Deployed EngineerDelhi NCR (Gurugram)Not stated₹15–25 LPA
      Thrifty AIForward Deployed EngineerDelhi NCR (Gurugram)Not stated₹15 LPA
      Route MobileFDE, conversational AIDelhi NCR (Gurugram)Not stated₹8–20 LPA
      JLL (India team)Forward Deployed AI EngineerBengaluru0–2 years₹10–15 LPA
      PeakfloForward Deployed Engineer (remote India)India / remote0–2 years₹10–13 LPA
      PinnacleU HRForward Deployed EngineerBengaluru0–2 years₹7–10 LPA
      NeurasityForward Deployed Engineer (+ deployment bonuses)Bengaluru0–2 years₹4–6 LPA

      Pay as posted on JobFound and Glassdoor India in Nov 2026. Listings close and change; check the live post before applying.

      What employers actually posted Ascendion: 6–8 LPA; Sycamore: 28–36 LPA; Keyrus: 45–70 LPA; Zorba AI: 10–25 LPA; DevRev: 28–36 LPA; Newpage Solutions: 6.5–14 LPA; Genrise.ai: 3.5–8 LPA; Cartesia: 70–90 LPA. Source: Glassdoor India, JobFound (Oct 2026) What employers actually posted Pay attached to real FDE listings in India, ₹ lakh per annum Ascendion6–8 LPASycamore28–36 LPAKeyrus45–70 LPAZorba AI10–25 LPADevRev28–36 LPANewpage Solutions6.5–14 LPAGenrise.ai3.5–8 LPACartesia70–90 LPA Source: Glassdoor India, JobFound (Oct 2026) FDE INDIA
      Self-reported pay: Levels.fyi shows a median total compensation of ₹17.7 LPA for FDEs in India (25th percentile ₹16.2 LPA, 75th ₹42.2 LPA), from only 11 salaries (Oct 2026). Treat it as a rough check, not a benchmark.

      By company type

      Company typeRange
      AI startups₹25–70 LPA
      SaaS & product companies₹30–80 LPA
      GCCs (global capability centres)₹35–90 LPA
      Banking & financial services₹28–65 LPA
      IT services & consulting₹20–50 LPA

      Source: Taggd (May 2026).

      By city

      CityRange
      Bengaluru₹28–80 LPA
      Hyderabad₹25–70 LPA
      Delhi NCR (Gurugram)₹25–75 LPA
      Mumbai₹24–65 LPA
      Pune₹22–60 LPA
      Chennai₹20–55 LPA

      Source: Taggd (May 2026).

      FDE pay by company type AI startups: 25–70 LPA; SaaS & product companies: 30–80 LPA; GCCs: 35–90 LPA; Banking & financial services: 28–65 LPA; IT services & consulting: 20–50 LPA. Source: Taggd (May 2026) FDE pay by company type Published ranges, ₹ lakh per annum AI startups25–70 LPASaaS & product companies30–80 LPAGCCs35–90 LPABanking & financial services28–65 LPAIT services & consulting20–50 LPA Source: Taggd (May 2026) FDE INDIA

      FDE pay and role by company

      ConsultingFDE at AccentureNot publicly reported; Second Talent puts India FDE pay at ₹14–28 LPA (3–6 yrs) to ₹55–100 LPA (10+ yrs), with services firms at the lower endGlobal product / platformFDE at AdobeNot publicly reported for India FDE roles. For reference only: 6figr reports an average of ₹18.4 lakh for Adobe Technical Consultants in India (22 profiles, Nov 2026), a different roleGlobal product / platformFDE at AtlassianNot posted by Atlassian; Dreamwork shows estimates (not employer-provided) of ₹70 lakh–₹1.1 crore for Principal and ₹85 lakh–₹1.2 crore for Senior Principal in BengaluruAI startupFDE at CartesiaPosted at ₹70–90 LPA plus equity for the Bengaluru FDE role (General Catalyst job board, listing now closed); the San Francisco FDE role was posted at US$180,000–250,000 plus equityIT servicesFDE at CognizantNot posted for India. As an estimate, Levels.fyi shows Cognizant software engineer median total pay in India of about ₹6.9 LPA overall, ₹22 LPA at L3 and ₹32 LPA at L4 (Nov 2026); FDE level mapping isn't publishedGlobal product / platformFDE at DatabricksNot posted on India listings; AmbitionBox self-reports put Databricks Solution Architects in India at ₹32–54.5 LPA (9 salaries, low confidence, Feb 2025) — a proxy, not FDE payConsultingFDE at DeloitteNot publicly reported for India. Indeed India data, as cited by Masai School (Oct 2026), puts average FDE base pay in India at about ₹12 LPA (₹9–16 LPA range)Global product / platformFDE at Google (Google Cloud)Not listed for India roles; estimates put L4 at ₹35–55 LPA and L5 at ₹55–90+ LPA (Scaler)IT servicesFDE at HCLTechNot posted for India. HCLTech's US listings that describe the FDE role post US$132,000–234,000 a year (Dallas and Jersey City) and US$155,000–263,000 (Chicago); these are US figures and don't indicate India payIT servicesFDE at InfosysNot publicly reportedGlobal product / platformFDE at Kore.aiNot posted for India. Levels.fyi shows a ₹16.3 LPA median for Kore.ai software engineers in India (25 submissions, Nov 2026); Kore.ai's US FDE listing posted US$180,000–230,000Global product / platformFDE at MicrosoftNot posted for India FDE roles; Levels.fyi shows Microsoft software engineer pay in India of about ₹33 LPA (level 60), ₹56 LPA (level 62) and ₹94 LPA (level 64) — an estimate, as FDE level mapping isn't publishedGlobal product / platformFDE at OpenAINot publicly reported: OpenAI leaves pay blank on its India postings (landed, Oct 2026). The only crowdsourced India data point is a single Levels.fyi record of about ₹56.6 lakh total pay for an L5 engineer.Indian productFDE at RazorpayNot publicly reported for the FDE roleGlobal product / platformFDE at SalesforceNot posted on India FDE listings; Levels.fyi shows Salesforce software engineer pay in India of about ₹26 LPA (Associate MTS), ₹48 LPA (MTS) and ₹75 LPA (Senior MTS) — an estimate, as FDE level mapping isn't publishedAI startupFDE at Sarvam AINot publicly reported ('competitive compensation' in the listing)IT servicesFDE at TCSNot publicly reportedIT servicesFDE at WiproNot posted on Wipro's FDE listings. As an estimate, Levels.fyi shows a median FDE total pay in India of about ₹25 LPA (11 salaries, Nov 2026); AmbitionBox shows Wipro Full Stack Engineer pay of ₹8.1–18.3 LPA (8 salaries, Jul 2025)
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      FDE salary FAQ

      What is the average FDE salary in India?

      Published benchmarks put a typical entry-level FDE at about ₹18–26.5 LPA and a mid-level FDE (3–6 years) at about ₹30–50 LPA. Self-reported data on Levels.fyi shows a median of about ₹17.7 LPA from a small sample of 11 salaries.

      How much do fresher FDEs earn in India?

      Benchmarks say ₹18–26.5 LPA, but fresher-tagged FDE listings we tracked in Oct 2026 actually posted ₹4–15 LPA. Treat the benchmark as what strong candidates at top companies can reach, and the listings as the wider market.

      Which companies pay FDEs the most in India?

      Published ranges put GCCs (₹35–90 LPA) and SaaS and product companies at the top, and IT services and consulting lower (₹20–50 LPA). Among listings with posted pay, a founding FDE role at Cartesia in Bengaluru showed ₹70–90 LPA.

      Does city change FDE pay?

      Yes. Published city ranges put Bengaluru highest (₹28–80 LPA) and Chennai lowest (₹20–55 LPA). Remote roles for global companies can pay above local bands.

      How accurate is this estimator?

      It is an indicative range, not an offer. It combines published benchmarks with a company-type and city adjustment, and shows real employer-posted listings next to it so you can see the spread. Check live listings before negotiating.

      Sources

      1. Taggd: FDE salary ranges in India — May 2026
      2. Second Talent: FDE salary ranges in India — Sep 2026
      3. Scaler: FDE salary ranges in India — Oct 2026
      4. Quess, via Deccan Herald: FDE salary ranges in India — 2026
      5. Levels.fyi: Forward Deployed Engineer salaries in India — Oct 2026
      6. Ascendion: Forward Deployed Engineer (hybrid) (JobFound) — Nov 2026
      7. Sycamore: Forward Deployed & Product Engineer (JobFound) — Nov 2026
      8. Keyrus: Forward Deployed Engineer (Pune or Bengaluru, hybrid) (JobFound) — Nov 2026
      9. Zorba AI: Forward Deployed Engineer - AI Agents (JobFound) — Nov 2026
      10. DevRev: Forward Deployed Engineer (JobFound) — Nov 2026
      11. Newpage Solutions: Forward Deployed Engineer (JobFound) — Oct 2026
      12. Genrise.ai: Forward Deployed Engineer (JobFound) — Oct 2026
      13. Cartesia: Founding Forward Deployed Engineer (India) (Glassdoor India) — Oct 2026
      14. Antino Labs: Forward Deployed Engineer (Glassdoor India) — Oct 2026
      15. Keyrus: AI-native business analyst / FDE (Glassdoor India) — Oct 2026
      16. Kuber and Company: Forward Deployed Engineer (Glassdoor India) — Oct 2026
      17. VIVANET: Forward Deployed Engineer (Glassdoor India) — Oct 2026
      18. Thrifty AI: Forward Deployed Engineer (Glassdoor India) — Oct 2026
      19. Route Mobile: FDE, conversational AI (Glassdoor India) — Oct 2026
      20. JLL (India team): Forward Deployed AI Engineer (JobFound) — Oct 2026
      21. Peakflo: Forward Deployed Engineer (remote India) (JobFound) — Oct 2026
      22. PinnacleU HR: Forward Deployed Engineer (Glassdoor India) — Oct 2026
      23. Neurasity: Forward Deployed Engineer (+ deployment bonuses) (JobFound) — Oct 2026

      Pay is in ₹ lakh per annum (LPA). Benchmarks are published estimates; listings are pay that employers attached to real FDE job posts. Every row links to its source. Refreshed monthly. Last updated 8 November 2026.

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