The campus placement season in Bengaluru has crossed its midway point, revealing a powerful and defining trend: the twin domains of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and cybersecurity are now the undisputed leaders, accounting for a staggering nearly 40% of all hires. This significant shift is reshaping academic curricula and recruitment strategies across the city's premier engineering institutions.
Surge in Demand Reshapes College Curriculum
The appetite for AI talent has seen an explosive 50% surge compared to the previous year. This unprecedented demand has prompted colleges to take proactive measures. Institutions are now making AI fundamentals a mandatory component for the upcoming 2025 batch, while also rolling out specialised tracks in cybersecurity. This move aims to align graduate skills directly with industry needs from day one.
Recruiters are not just focusing on final-year students. To secure talent early, companies are aggressively attracting juniors with lucrative summer internships, which frequently convert into pre-placement offers (PPOs). This strategy ensures a pipeline of skilled professionals trained in specific company technologies and cultures.
Institutes Report Overwhelming Shift to Tech Roles
The trend is strongly reflected in placement data from major colleges. At RV College of Engineering, Principal KN Subramanya confirmed that 30–40% of placements are solely in cybersecurity and AI-ML roles. He emphasised the collaborative effort required for cyber preparedness, stating it needs continuous work between academia, industry, and centres of excellence.
PES University has already placed 850 students, with the majority securing roles in AI and computer science. Sridhar K, the dean of placement, noted that recruitment is concentrated in AI, cloud, cybersecurity, and product firms, with the PPO model becoming increasingly common for juniors.
The story is similar at Ramaiah Institute of Technology, which reported a 50% increase in hiring for AI and cybersecurity compared to last year. Dean of placements Srinivasa Ramanujam observed a strong student interest shift towards AI-ML, cybersecurity, and data science, leading the institute to expand specialised offerings like computer science with cybersecurity.
Core Sectors Hold Ground Amid Tech Boom
While AI and cybersecurity dominate headlines, traditional core engineering branches have not been sidelined. Mechanical, civil, electrical, and electronics engineering students continue to find opportunities. As noted by Dilip Kumar, professor and placement officer at UVCE, while most students prefer IT jobs, a significant around 40% still opt for core-sector roles.
UVCE itself reported stable placement trends over three years, with IT roles dominating and AI/cybersecurity accounting for 30–40% of their hires. Beyond the leading duo, cloud computing, data science, and product management roles are also experiencing high demand, with software and IT firms continuing to be the mainstay of campus recruitment drives.
The message from Bengaluru's placement grounds is clear: the future of engineering careers is being rewritten by AI and cybersecurity. Educational institutions are rapidly adapting, and students with skills in these high-growth areas are finding themselves at the forefront of a hiring revolution.
