India's Data Breach Costs Soar to Record Rs 25.5 Crore in 2026

The average cost of a data breach in India reached an all-time high of Rs 25.5 crore in 2026, according to IBM's 2026 Cost of a Data Breach Report.

This represents a 15.9 per cent increase from last year's Rs 22 crore and highlights the growing concern for cybersecurity in the country.

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

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

He emphasized the need for organizations to embed AI capabilities across the full security lifecycle, from detection and analysis to prioritization and remediation.