India's Data Breach Costs Soar to Record Rs 25.5 Crore Amid AI-Driven Cyber Threats

The average cost of a data breach in India has reached an all-time high of Rs 25.5 crore in 2026, according to IBM's latest report.

This represents a 15.9 per cent increase from the previous year's figure of Rs 22 crore.

The report also found that nearly 39,500 records were compromised per incident in 2026, up from 38,200 in 2025.

The growing use of artificial intelligence (AI) is being blamed for the rise in data breaches, with 26 per cent of malicious incidents attributed to AI-generated attacks.

Gaurav Agarwal, Vice President of Technology at IBM India & South Asia, warned that AI adoption was creating 'immense opportunities for innovation' but also enabling cyber threats to evolve rapidly.