Stronger recruiter turnout; AI, data roles boost IIT Phase 1 placements

IIT-BHU saw a nearly 7% increase in job offers and a 20% jump in average salary to Rs 29.45 lakh per annum at the end of the first phase, which ended in December, from Rs 24.29 lakh last year. IIT Kanpur has seen a 4% rise in the number of students placed; for IIT Roorkee, it’s been a 5.5% plus jump.

Bigger recruiter turnout yields dividends

At IIT-BHU, the number of visiting companies increased about 8.1%, including a higher participation of first-time recruiters, such as FloQast, Glean, BNP Paribas and NatWest Group, especially in emerging areas such as data-driven technologies, banking, fintech and product roles, according to Sushant Kumar Shrivastava, coordinator, training and placement cell.

“Phase 1 placements for the 2025–26 batch have shown a clear and positive improvement over last year, reflecting enhanced student preparedness and renewed recruiter confidence. The number of offers made during Phase 1 increased from 1,029 last year to 1,100 this year,” he said.

Hiring activity was most pronounced in software development, machine learning, data and business analyst roles, reflecting strong industry demand for advanced technical skills, he added.

Across IITs, companies across sectors including Google, Graviton Research, Databricks, MasterCard, HCL Technologies, L&T Construction, Amazon, Oracle, Goldman Sachs, Navi, Qualcomm and JP Morgan recruited students in the first phase.

At IIT Kanpur, more than 15 new companies joined the process during this phase. Key recruiters included Accenture Solutions, BlackRock, Deutsche Bank, Genpact, ICICI Bank, Meesho and SquarePoint Capital.

Software and data analytics emerged as the most active sectors in terms of hiring during the first phase, according to the IIT Kanpur placement office.

Shweta Mohanty, head of human resources at SAP in India, said the enterprise software company hires IIT students for their exceptional technical expertise, strong problem-solving mindset and exposure to emerging technologies such as AI and cloud. The company visited IIT Bombay, BHU, Roorkee, Kanpur, Delhi and Guwahati for development roles and said its intake from IITs has been increasing year-on-year.

“IIT graduates bring innovation, adaptability and research orientation that align with SAP’s global vision,” said Mohanty.

PPO jump drives overall rise in offers

Companies feel that instead of trying to elbow out the competition during the final placements, it’s better to make offers to tried-and-tested talent that has interned with them. Students, on their part, can accept offers with prior knowledge of the work culture of the organisation. This win-win scenario has translated into a significant jump in PPO conversions.

IIT Delhi has seen a 33% jump in the number of PPOs this year, followed by IIT Roorkee (30%) and IIT Kanpur (27%).

Focus now on second phase

As institutes begin the second phase of placements this month, scheduled to continue till May or June, IITs are putting in place strategies to ensure placements continue to run smoothly.

“In the second phase, we will maintain momentum by focusing on core-oriented and high-demand profiles aligned with market needs, strengthening recruiter outreach, and encouraging relevant upskilling to maximise the number of students placed,” said Vivek Pancholi, professor-in-charge, placement and internship cell, IIT Roorkee.

In Phase II, the focus will be on strengthening engagement with core sector organisations while also widening participation from diverse industries and startups to maximise placement outcomes, said IIT Kanpur.