India data breach costs hit record Rs 25.5 crore in 2026

The Story in Brief

India’s average data breach cost rose 15.9 per cent to a record Rs 25.5 crore in 2026, from Rs 22 crore in 2025, according to IBM’s 2026 Cost of a Data Breach Report. The average breach affected nearly 39,500 records, up from 38,200 last year. IBM said 26 per cent of malicious breaches were AI-generated.

Only 32 per cent of Indian organisations had extensively deployed AI and security automation. Their average breach cost was Rs 21.3 crore, against Rs 31.6 crore for organisations without such tools. Phishing remained the leading initial attack route, causing 19 per cent of breaches. Financial services faced the highest average cost at Rs 40.9 crore.

The Indian Opinion

The claim that AI alone will fix India’s cyber risk is as weak as the claim that technology is the only problem. IBM’s figures point to basic gaps too, with phishing still the most common entry route and nearly a third of organisations reporting no AI or security automation. Spending should be judged by fewer successful attacks, not larger tool budgets. Will next year’s breach count and average cost fall?

Source: ciso.economictimes.indiatimes.com

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