BairesDev®, an award-winning nearshore software development company, just released a new edition of the Dev Barometer, a quarterly global survey that dives into the minds of software engineers and project managers. This edition focuses on how AI impacted their jobs in 2025 and is changing software work and team structures heading into 2026, gathering insights from 501 developers and 19 project managers across 40 countries, including 75 participants from India.
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How Indian developers expect their roles and responsibilities to evolve in 2026
AI Redefines Work and Skills for Indian Developers:
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63% of Indian developers say AI-generated code is currently “somewhat reliable,” requiring continued validation to ensure quality, accuracy, and security. Only 12% believe AI code can be used without human oversight.
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79% say AI has strengthened their technical skills, 52% say it improved their work-life balance, and 52% say it has expanded their career opportunities in 2025.
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7 in 10 (72%) Indian developers believe their role will be redefined in 2026. Of those:
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81% expect to shift from coding to designing technical solutions
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70% expect to integrate AI-generated code into their workflows
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52% anticipate a greater focus on strategy and architecture
“At the start of the year, many asked how AI would change developers’ roles. It’s clear now: developers are the first professionals to reinvent their jobs in real time,” said Nacho De Marco, CEO and Co-Founder of BairesDev. “They’re using AI to boost productivity, learn faster, and drive innovation. What’s happening in software today will soon happen across every knowledge industry: people will think bigger, break old limits, and redefine what productivity means.”
How Will the Developer Role Be In 2026?
As AI reshapes their day-to-day work, Indian developers see 2026 as a turning point for how software teams are structured, managed, and the skills required to stay competitive:
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67% expect new career opportunities to emerge.
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6 in 10 (63%) predict that AI will create more specialized roles in 2026.
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53% foresee smaller, leaner teams as automation reduces entry-level tasks.
While Indian developers expect AI to continue transforming the industry in 2026, they are divided on how it will affect early-career roles: 31% expect these positions to shift in quality, requiring stronger analytical and AI-assisted coding skills; 28% anticipate growth as AI creates new products and markets, and 11% predict a decline in traditional junior roles.
Five in Ten Indian Developers Unlocked New Career Opportunities in 2025
Indian developers are increasingly operating in AI-integrated environments: 6 in 10 say AI accelerates project delivery, shortening time-to-market, and saving 10 hours a week. While enthusiasm is high, developers are also realistic about its current capabilities.
Overall, Indian developers still spend most of their time on writing code and building features (64%), debugging and fixing bugs (52%), and reviewing code and pulling requests (32%). 15% of Indian developers said they focus primarily on creative problem-solving and innovation, a figure expected to grow as AI continues to automate routine coding tasks.
Where Will Tech Jobs Grow in 2026?
As software teams become smaller and leaner in 2026, there is a shift toward more specialized structures, AI-integrated workflows, and human oversight in design and delivery.
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67% of Indian developers warn that those without AI skills risk falling behind. Global PMs identified AI/ML specialists (76%) as the biggest upcoming talent gap, followed by data engineers and prompt engineers.
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Indian developers expect AI/ML (76%), data analytics (49%), and prompt engineering (43%) to be the fastest-growing areas in 2026.
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63% of global PMs said developers will require more training in AI, cloud, and cybersecurity.
The Dev Barometer Q3 2025 edition showed AI had already become standard practice: 92% of Indian developers were using AI-assisted coding, saving an average of 10 hours per week. This new Q4 Edition points to an industry defined by AI integration: Indian developers foresee their core work evolving into a strategic role. Teams get leaner and more specialized, and upskilling in AI, data, and security becomes mandatory. In short, the role changes, the team structure follows, and human oversight remains central, turning individual AI gains into a repeatable way to build software in 2026.
About Q4 Dev Barometer survey
The survey was conducted in October 2025 among 501 developers, 53% of whom had 8+ years of experience, and 19 project managers working across 92 projects. India was the country with the second-highest participation in the Dev Barometer survey, with 75 developer respondents.
About BairesDev
BairesDev provides nearshore software development services to some of the world’s largest and most respected companies like Abbot, Adobe, Coca-Cola, eBay, Google, HP, and Rolls-Royce. Backed by 4,000+ engineers across LATAM, BairesDev has delivered high-quality software in over 130 industries.
