Salary Surge In 2026? Indian Firms Project 9% Growth, Incentives In Focus: Report

Indian employees are expected to see an average salary increase of 9% in 2026, according to Mercer’s Total Remuneration Survey released on Wednesday. The report highlights a renewed emphasis on short-term incentives and skills-based pay structures.

According to the survey, Indian companies are experiencing a shift toward broader, more holistic value propositions and the key factors influencing salary hikes include individual performance, inflation and the organisation's competitiveness in the job market, among others.

Remuneration trends across more than 8,000 roles and in more than 1,500 companies were covered under the survey which revealed that organisations are continuing to refine their rewards packages, zeroing in on short-term incentives, and progressing toward more transparent, skills acquisition and deployment-based systems.

"Our survey shows most organisations in India will continue to plan pay increases in line with balancing cost pressures and talent retention. Alongside this, there is a growing emphasis on skills-based organisation architecture, talent assessments to better align workforce capabilities with evolving business needs and pay programs to drive desired outcomes," said Malathi KS, Mercer’s Rewards Consulting Leader India.

As companies respond to shifting workforce dynamics -- ranging from digital transformation and sourcing scarce, in-demand skills to the rising importance of benefits and well-being -- they are redesigning rewards strategies to build a more resilient, future-ready talent.

"These shifts present Indian organisations with significant opportunities to strengthen workforce engagement and shape a more agile and inclusive workplace," Malathi KS said.

Short-term incentives like bonuses have led to a stronger emphasis on near-term performance alignment, cost efficiency, and the development of transparent, skills-based pay frameworks to support evolving workforce needs in the face of AI and productivity priorities.

Adding to this, the implementation of newly-approved labour codes will tighten the social security net and preventive health care, the report by the global consulting firm noted.

Sectorwise, High Tech (product and consulting) and the Automotive Industry are set to have the highest salary increases in 2026 at 9.3%and 9.5% respectively, while the IT, ITES, and Global Capability Centers (GCC) sector in India continued to lead the way in offering innovative and progressive employee benefits reflecting the sector’s commitment to enhancing employee well-being and engagement.

"As India embraces digital transformation, navigates shifting workforce expectations and sharpens its focus on productivity, revisiting the number of employees eligible to receive an increment is a strategy being adopted by some companies to manage cost.

"This is a time for leaders to review their priorities and build stronger cultures embedded in a high-performance ethos, making empowerment and accountability go hand in hand, and fostering a fit for purpose value proposition", Mercer’s Career Business Leader, India, Mansee Singhal concluded.

Mercer, a business of Marsh McLennan, is a global leader in helping clients realise their investment objectives, shape the future of work and enhance health and retirement outcomes for their people.

(With PTI Inputs.)