End-user spending on information security in India is forecasted to hit $3.4 billion by 2026, showing an 11.7% rise from 2025, as per a Gartner report. Security software is expected to be the largest and fastest-growing segment in 2026, with a projected 12.4% increase in spending, focusing on infrastructure and cloud security. Network security and security services are also set to expand significantly, both with an 11.1% increase, leading to a total information security expenditure of $3,435 million in 2026.
Security services spending in India will be fueled by the demand for managed security services, the fastest-growing subsegment with an anticipated growth rate of 15.1%. According to Shailendra Upadhyay, a Senior Principal at Gartner, Indian chief information security officers (CISOs) are shifting strategically towards dynamic and pre-emptive defense models. Identity-based attacks like credential compromise and deepfake-enabled fraud are broadening the attack surface, making identity threat detection and response (ITDR) a key focus.
The implementation of India’s Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, alongside emerging AI regulations globally, is heightening compliance complexity and accountability pressures on CISOs, noted Alex Michaels, Director Analyst at Gartner. Michaels emphasized the need for cybersecurity leaders to evolve beyond a control-centric mindset and position themselves as facilitators of secure, scalable business innovation. It is recommended that industry leaders formalize collaboration with legal, business, and procurement teams, sharing accountability for cyber risk.
Indian enterprises are increasingly embracing managed detection and response (MDR) and other managed services to tackle the growing complexity of cyber threats in a scalable and cost-efficient manner, according to Upadhyay.
