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Raja Simhan T.E.

Chennai , June 19

MULTINATIONAL firms have overtaken Indian firms in recruiting most number of students at IIT Madras this year. Interestingly, only 35 IT companies came to the campus this year compared to 70 last year.

Engineering companies increased their presence to 34 (20) and management firms to 19 (4), according to Prof T.T. Narendran, Advisor, Training and Placement, IIT Madras.

IBM Global and Cognizant Technology Solutions more than doubled their recruitment compared to last year.

On the other hand, Infosys, which has been one of the largest recruiters at IIT Madras in the last few years, reduced its intake this year. Tata Consultancy Services retained its number this year , he told Business Line.

IBM Global recruited 105 (43) students followed by Cognizant 71 (24), Infosys 43 (74) and TCS 40 (40). Other major recruiters included Samsung 17 (14), Oracle 16 (21), Wipro Technologies 16 (1), Infotech Enterprises 12 (comparative number not available) and Tavant Technologies 12 (1), he said.

Despite fewer IT companies visiting the campus this year, the sector was the largest recruiter with 63.5 per cent followed by engineering (22 per cent), management (8 per cent), research and development (5 per cent) and science (1.5 per cent), he said.

Out of the 1,200 final year students 1,101 registered for placement, and 742 were placed in various companies. About 120 companies came this year compared to 145 last year, he said.

This year students played a waiting game, and did not rush to companies such as TCS and Infosys - these companies get the first few slots and if a student gets a job, he/she cannot attend interviews of other firms that may offer higher salaries.

These companies, however, did not want the best of the breed, as these students do not normally stay with the company for a longer time. Instead, these companies look for middle level students, who would be with the company for a longer period, he said.

According to Prof Narendran, the maximum salary offered this year was Rs 8.15 lakh per annum (offered by multinationals Amazon and Triology) against Rs 7 lakh last year. The minimum salary was Rs 1.68 lakh (same last year), and the average salary was Rs 4.79 lakh (Rs 4.62 lakh).

Computer science graduates (they do high-end work, including design and embedded systems) were the most sought after by companies followed by electrical and electronics, mechanical, biotech (earlier the fourth slot used to be chemical), and the final slot is shared by metallurgy, civil, chemical and naval architecture (IBM picked up a few students in this sector), said Ms Prema Chakrapani, Assistant Registrar, Training and Placement, IIT Madras.

According to Prof Narendran, this year a majority of students wanted to take up a job in subjects they studied. This is contrary to the trend during the last few years when almost every student wanted to work with an IT firm. An increased number of students wanted to work in India than travel to the US. "We would lead a comfortable life in India than be unemployed in the US," a student told Prof Narendran.

This year, only 20 per cent of students would have gone to the US for higher studies compared to 40-45 per cent during the peak IT/dotcom boom.

Further, students have become selective and go to the US only if they get admission and funding in the top ten US institutes, including MIT and Stanford.

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