India's average organisational cost of a data breach hit a record Rs 25.5 crore in 2026, up 15.9% from last year, according to IBM. AI-generated cyberattacks accounted for 26% of malicious breaches, while firms using AI and security automation reported lower breach costs and faster response. Phishing remained the leading attack vector, prompting higher investments in cybersecurity.
New Delhi: The average total organisational cost of a data breach in India reached an all‑time high of Rs 25.5 crore in 2026, a 15.9 per cent increase over last year, a report said on Monday.
The report from IBM said breaches in India also grew in scale, with 39,500 records compromised on average, up from 38,200 in 2025.
Nearly 26 per cent of malicious breaches were AI‑generated, highlighting that artificial intelligence is reshaping the cyber threat landscape by making attacks faster, more sophisticated and increasingly scalable.
The firm found that organisations that extensively deployed AI and security automation experienced significantly lower breach costs and faster breach response, while those with no AI paid the highest average cost.
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