Average data breach cost hits record high of Rs 25.5 cr in India: IBM report

The average organisational cost of a data breach in India reached an all-time high of Rs 25.5 crore in 2026, up 16 % compared to Rs 22 crore last year, a report said on Monday.

The data breach in India also grew in scale, with 39,500 records compromised on average in 2026, as against 38,200 in 2025, IBM said in its report.

The Rs 25.5 crore is the "highest average cost of a data breach", the global IT firm said.

Gaurav Agarwal, vice president, technology, IBM India and South Asia, said the artificial intelligence (AI) adoption is enabling cyber threats to evolve rapidly.

“AI with agentic capabilities must be embedded across the full security lifecycle, from detection and analysis to prioritisation and remediation. That should be the strategic imperative for businesses to build resilience and a competitive advantage,” he said.

Organisations with no AI and automation in security operations paid an average of Rs 31.6 crore per breach, compared to Rs 21.3 crore for organisations with extensive use and Rs 23.1 crore for those with limited deployment, the report said.