Recruiters Look Beyond IITs for Top Engineering Talent
Recruiters are no longer focusing only on the Indian Institutes of Technology. They now actively seek elite engineering talent from National Institutes of Technology and leading private universities. High-paying job offers, once almost exclusive to IIT campuses, are now reaching students at these institutions.
Crore-Plus Packages Become Common
High-frequency trading firms, global technology companies, and venture-backed startups are driving this change. They offer compensation packages exceeding one crore rupees to secure the best students from non-IIT colleges.
P Venkata Suresh, head of career planning at NIT Warangal, provided specific numbers. "Two students from the 2026 batch received offers above ₹1 crore. Six students got packages over ₹70 lakh, while thirty-four students secured jobs with CTC exceeding ₹50 lakh," he highlighted.
Which Institutions Are Benefiting?
Alongside IITs, several other institutions are attracting high-paying recruiters:
- National Institutes of Technology (NITs)
- Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology, Shibpur
- Vellore Institute of Technology
- Birla Institute of Technology and Science
- SRM Institute of Science and Technology
BITS Pilani reported significant success. "Elite quantitative trading institutions like Graviton, Quad eye, and IMC Trading drove compensation with niche roles paying over ₹1 crore. Within the Pilani campus alone, we saw six offers exceeding ₹1 crore," the institute stated.
Why Are Companies Expanding Their Search?
Companies cite multiple reasons for looking beyond IITs:
- Talent Shortage: The supply of high-caliber engineers is tightening.
- Skill Demand: There is a rising premium on niche skills in AI and data science.
- Retention Concerns: Employers seek candidates who stay longer with companies.
- Early Hiring: With IIT placements starting later, companies target non-IIT students earlier in the season.
Chitbhanu Nagri of Razorpay explained their approach. "Our engineering hiring focuses on skills, problem-solving ability, and a learning mindset, not campus labels. We hire from IITs and BITS while building strong pipelines through NITs and other leading institutions," he said.
Who Is Hiring and What Are They Paying?
Placement teams at NITs report active recruitment from specific sectors:
- Quantitative Firms: NK Securities, D.E. Shaw, and AQR Capital offer ₹55–75 lakh packages.
- Global Tech Companies: Apple, Texas Instruments, Atlassian, Nvidia, Nutanix, and Oracle provide high compensation at non-IIT campuses.
- Established Startups: Companies like Meesho offer around ₹60 lakh across both IIT and non-IIT campuses.
Pay Parity and Strategic Hiring
Companies now offer similar packages regardless of institution. "Expanding hiring beyond IITs allows us to tap into a broader pool of high-caliber engineering talent. NITs produce engineers with strong fundamentals who deliver meaningful impact," said a representative from Harness.
Education analysts support this strategic shift. "Once the top IIT students are placed, Tier 1.5 and Tier 2 institutions become the strategic choice. The top 5% at these colleges often rival the top 15–20% of IITians," noted Avantika Tomar of EY-Parthenon India.
Benefits Beyond Technical Skills
Diversifying recruitment brings additional advantages:
- Enhanced Workplace Diversity: Candidates from various institutions bring different perspectives.
- Lower Turnover Rates: Non-IIT hires often show greater long-term retention.
- Broader Skill Sets: These candidates frequently demonstrate strong soft skills like adaptability and resourcefulness.
Narayan Ramaswamy of KPMG India observed, "While IIT students possess exceptional technical skills, candidates from other institutions bring specific temperament and soft skills around resourcefulness and adaptability."
Industry Leaders Confirm the Trend
Major companies are actively implementing this broader hiring strategy:
- Nutanix hires from 30 premier institutions including IITs and NITs, offering pre-placement offers to top interns.
- Deloitte India partners with colleges in Bhubaneswar, Tripura, and Chennai to onboard high-potential talent.
- Razorpay maintains hiring from both IIT and non-IIT campuses based on consistent selection processes.
Faiz Shakir of Nutanix emphasized, "Exceptional talent is not limited to a single set of institutions—it is spread across multiple top-tier colleges."
Salary Increases and Economic Context
Placement coordinators report significant salary growth. One NIT student noted anonymously, "The median salary has risen 15–20% compared to last year. Earlier it was around ₹15 lakh, now it is approximately ₹17.5 lakh."
These increases align with broader economic trends. With projected inflation falling to 2% for FY26, double-digit placement hikes help maintain purchasing power despite higher statutory deductions.
The Future of Campus Hiring
Engineering college placements serve as an early indicator of India's hiring appetite. While IIT placements remain important, the expansion to NITs and private colleges signals a fundamental shift in recruitment strategy.
Deepti Sagar of Deloitte India summarized the new approach. "India's young talent can be found far beyond its metros and not only in Tier 1 colleges. We actively widen our aperture, hiring from every deserving campus for skills across AI, cloud, data, and emerging technologies," she stated.
The trend is clear. Recruiters now recognize that top engineering talent exists across multiple institutions, not just at IITs. This realization is changing campus hiring patterns nationwide, creating more opportunities for students at various engineering colleges.
