How to Become a Data Scientist in India: Salary, Job Outlook & Skills

It’s true that ‘data scientist’ is one of the most sought-after roles in the world; but does that apply for the Indian job market?

If you’re an aspiring data scientist in India, it’s important to evaluate your career prospects before investing time and effort into data science training and education.

In this article, we take a look at the latest research show you how to become a data scientist in India.

We focus on the education and qualifications you need to become a data scientist in any company.

Finally, we point you in the right direction in terms of where to look for data scientist job openings in India and share some extra tips that will help you stand out from the crowd.

So, let’s get started, shall we?

Table of Contents

• What’s the Data Scientist Job Outlook in India?
• What's the Data Scientist Salary in India?
• Skills and Education Needed to Become a Data Scientist in India
• What Skills You Should Have to Become a Data Scientist in India?
• Data Scientist Jobs in India: Where to Look for a Data Scientist Job?
• Tips to Build Your Data Science Resume
• Becoming a Data Scientists in India: Overview
• Ready to Start Your Data Scientist Career?
• FAQs

What’s the Data Scientist Job Outlook in India?

In 2019, a report by The Hindu stated that there are an estimated 97,000 data analytics job openings in India.

In 2023, however, Analytics India Mag reported that the number of data science and analytics jobs decreased. They connect this with general world-wide tech layoffs and global economic uncertainty.  

Despite this fact—as reported in Business Standard—Hari Krishnan Nair, co-founder of Great Learning, emphasized India's significant digital transformation and its shift towards data-driven decision-making to improve business efficiency.

He noted that despite some surprises in 2023’s findings, the expected economic rebound could expand data science and analytics job market in India, leading to diverse new career opportunities.

In fact, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts a 23% increase in data science jobs between 2023 and 2033—indicating that the data revolution is not moving backward, rather it’s expected to continue growing over the next decade.

So, becoming a data scientist in India seems like a golden opportunity. But what does that mean in terms of salaries?

What is the Data Scientist Salary in India?

According to upgrad.com, ‘data scientist’ is the highest paying job in India. The average data scientist salary listed on Glassdoor is above ₹12.9L per year and it could go up to ₹20.5L for more experienced candidates.

Of course, corporations based in large cities like Mumbai and Bangalore offer higher salaries. But keep in mind that this may soon change.

Many international companies prefer to open offices in Hyderabad, as it’s much more affordable. Giants like Facebook, Microsoft, Google, Amazon, and P&G already call Hyderabad their home—translating into even more career opportunities for data scientists in India.

As you can see, data scientist salaries in India are highly competitive, making this field lucrative for anyone who is ready to put in the hours and effort.

Now, let’s explore what it takes to become a sought-after data scientist in the field.

Skills and Education Needed to Become a Data Scientist in India

As you might guess, data scientist education and skills are largely universal, no matter where you live.

But we decided to delve into the numbers to provide the most accurate picture possible.

Here’s what we discovered about the education and skills of a typical data scientist in India.

What Education Do You Need to Become a Data Scientist in India?

According to our 2019 research, 50% of data scientists in India held a master’s degree, 34% a bachelor’s degree, and a small 6% a Ph.D.

When compared with our 2024 research into 1,000 US job postings for data scientists, these 2019 stats seem to reflect the current state of the Indian job market. In terms of demand, master’s degrees lead the way.

Nevertheless, over a quarter of the job postings didn’t indicate a preferred education level. This might signal that data scientist qualifications are changing.

Employers are starting to put less emphasis on formal degrees and accept alternative forms of education, like online courses and bootcamps.

If you choose to go the traditional route, a degree in computer studies, economics, finance, business studies, statistics, and mathematics is certainly considered an advantage.

But, as we saw, more and more employers are willing to wave such requirements in favor of relevant skills and real-world experience.

According to our 2019 research, the typical data scientist in India spoke 2.3 languages, had taken at least 1 online course, and had posted 4 certificates on average on LinkedIn—and these numbers seem to be increasing.

This goes to prove the growing importance of online data science trainings, not only when it comes to learning the fundamentals, but also for acquiring the latest in-demand skills—making certificates a critical step of how to become a data scientist in India.

Our research also shows that data scientists in India generally have 7 or more years of working experience. But this shouldn’t concern those of you who are just getting started.

There are plenty of data science job opportunities even for beginners in the field (you can find out more about those in our detailed and comprehensive 365 Data Science Career Guide).

What Skills You Should Have to Become a Data Scientist in India?

Everyone who’s considering how to get into data science knows the must-have skillset for a data scientist includes:

• proficiency in excel;
• good practical knowledge of statistics and mathematics;
• confidence in working with visualization tools like Power BI and Tableau;
• and, of course, experience in scripting languages like SQL, Python, and R.

In fact, data scientists in India use more programming languages as compared to other countries (Python, R, SAS, etc.).

And while Python holds the lead in popularity in the US and Europe, in India it shares the winner’s place with R.

But how do you acquire all of these if you’re starting from scratch? Well, luckily, today there are many options to learn data science.

For example, you can start a qualification program or study with private tutors. But if going back to school is not on your agenda, an online certificate program can be the best way to begin your professional journey.

Data Scientist Jobs in India: Where to Look for a Data Scientist Job?

While many Indian companies are relying more and more on data-driven insights, it’s still relatively new for local businesses; few have sufficient data for a thorough analysis.

The most obvious choice for data science in India would be large US and globally recognized companies in the sector. Here’s a shortlist of the biggest players and their hiring locations:

• Amazon – Bangalore, Hyderabad;
• Walmart – Bangalore;
• P&G – Hyderabad;
• Oracle – Bangalore, Hyderabad;
• IBM – Bangalore.

Tips to Build Your Data Science Resume

Having the right education and skills isn’t enough when it comes to how to become a data scientist in India. The field is competitive, and if you want to build an impressive resume, you need to go beyond the basics.

Here are a few ideas of how to distinguish yourself in front of potential employers.

• College students and freshers should aim for a data science internship, even if it’s unpaid. Your goal should be to get industry experience that you will later apply in your permanent data science job.
• Create a good GitHub repository and upload our own data science related projects and work there. Make sure to include your GitHub link in your LinkedIn profile—it’s a good way to showcase your work to prospective employers.
• Participate in online data science competitions. This will help you validate your learning and also get noticed by employers, especially if the competition is sponsored.
• Attend local data science meetups that are taking place regularly in big cities like Bangalore, Pune, and Delhi NCR. Be sure to network with the people you meet, as this is a surefire way to bring in new opportunities.

Becoming a Data Scientists in India: Overview

Becoming a data scientist in India is worth every hour of studying, job-searching, and interview preparation—just take a look at the potential salaries above.

That said, it's crucial to focus on acquiring the right skill set while also considering the specific aspects of the data science field in India.

Ready to Start Your Data Scientist Career?

Check out our complete Data Science Program today.

Start with the fundamentals with our Statistics, Maths, and Excel courses; build up your experience with SQL, Python, R, and Tableau; and upgrade your skillset with Machine Learning, Deep Learning, Credit Risk Modeling, Time Series Analysis, and Customer Analytics in Python.

If you want to take a step further into AI, we have a number of new courses on NLP, LLMs, ChatGPT, and more.

Still not sure you want to turn your interest in data science into a solid career?

We also offer a free preview version of our Data Science Program. You can access the first lessons of every course on the platform, and even try some courses for free. It’s a great way to see if the program is right for you.

We hope this brief overview helps you get an understanding of how to become a data scientist in India and gets you on the right track to success in your career.

Try our Intro to Data and Data Science course for free

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