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Journalism of Courage
After two nail-biting years, management and engineering students are finally breathing easy. India Inc is back on campus, and is absorbing nearly 50 per cent more students than it did last year.
Companies from the Information Technology (IT) sector, banks and financial services and service industry are the major recruiters.
However, pay packages have improved only marginally. Go back 12 months, and the scene at college campuses was quite different.
‘‘While last year we were calling up companies to come to campus, this year they have come knocking,’’ says Abbasali Gabula, chairperson, external relations, SP Jain Institute of Management and Research. Though SP Jain’s official placements begin in first week of February, they have already been approached by 80 companies.
Ditto for Gurgaon-based Management Development Institute (MDI). ‘‘Last year 45 companies had come to campus but this year 105 companies have shown interest,’’ says Dr Pritam Singh, director, MDI.
Walk into IIT Powai’s make-do canteen, the Coffee Shack, and the change in students’ mood is perceptible. There are happy, relaxed faces as compared to the edgy, anxious ones last year.
‘‘The number of core companies (manufacturing) that have come to campus this year is higher. Otherwise, IT companies have been big recruiters,’’ says Prof K N Gupta, prof-in-charge placements, IIT, Bombay.‘‘I had to appear for seven rounds of interviews, but I finally got through my dream company ITC,’’ smiles IITan BTech (electrical) student Nalin Agrawal. With a package of Rs 7 lakh per annum under his belt, he has reason to be happy. Nearly half his batchmates are already sitting on plum jobs, while another 30 per cent want to go for higher studies. The dotcom boom of 2000 had provided a dream run for students from MBA and engineering schools, with most students getting two-three job offers. The batch that graduated a year later found it tough to hold on to even one, considering many were laid off.
Unable to shrug off past lessons, this year’s students are more alert. ‘‘Quite a few students are prefering to take jobs in India than in US, considering the good growth options here,’’ confirms Dr B N Thorat, in-charge of placements at Mumbai University Institute of Chemical Technology.
Though placements for XLRI will begin in February, the mood is highly optimistic. ‘‘With the economy doing so well, I expect this year to be one of the best placement years,’’ says Prof Sabyasachi Sengupta, placement advisor, XLRI. Meanwhile, it’s sister school Xavier Institute of Management (XIM), Bhubhaneshwar, has already achieved 100-per cent placement. ‘‘Last year this time we were short by 25-per cent students,’’ informs a proud Rajiv Kaul, chairman XIMB. ‘‘This has been the best, fastest placement ever.’’
Maximum demand is still from the IT sector, though not necessarily in software. ‘‘IT firms are recruiting heavily across streams, especially marketing and human resources,’’ informs Prabhanjan Dhotre of Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies, where placements are to begin in February. ‘‘Last year there were a lot of difficulties. But this time not only are the students optimistic but very happy that they are getting their dream jobs,’’ says Dr R K Jadhav, the institute’s director.
