Round 1 of placements in December: Indian Institutes of Technology see surge in offers

Despite economic slowdown, 186 IIT-Bombay students get pre-placement offers this year, bypassing last year’s total PPOs of 113

With placements at the premier Indian Institutes of Technology less than a month away, students and the institutes are feeling optimistic with the rise in pre-placement offers (PPOs). The first phase of placements are scheduled to begin on December 1 and will last for seven or 15 days, depending on the number of students registered for placements and the companies that have registered to make job offers.

This year due to the lockdown, across IITs, placement interviews, group discussions and tests will be conducted online.(HT FILE)

So far, 186 students of IIT Bombay (IIT-B) have received PPOs this year, bypassing last year’s total PPOs of 113. “Most PPOs are a direct outcome of summer internships because this is where companies witness the students’ ability first-hand. For most companies, a student’s score doesn’t matter as much as their work ethic and more often than not, students who performed well during internships get job offers before the placement season kicks off,” said a student representative from IIT-B’s placement cell.

At IIT Madras (IITM), 172 PPOs have been offered till date, surpassing last year’s total of 170 PPOs. Pre-placement training is an important aspect of preparation for students. Despite limitations imposed by the ongoing pandemic, most IITs managed to conduct virtual training sessions this year. “Even with the lockdown, the student team was able to organise a soft-skill session for students who are participating in placements this year,” said CS Shankar Ram, advisor (training and placement), IITM.

PPOs at IIT Roorkee and Hyderabad also rose compared to last year. Vinay Sharma, professor-in-charge of placements at IIT Roorkee, said that as of November 1, students of IIT-Roorkee have received 149 PPOs, which is higher than the 140 PPOs received by the previous batch by the first week of November last year.

Similarly, PPOs received by students of IIT-Hyderabad stood at 37 last year but this year, 46 offers have already been received. Students expect these numbers to rise. Fifteen students at IIT-Patna have received PPOs this year, compared to 23 last year.

A handful of IITs are currently waiting for more PPOs to be confirmed, especially since this process goes on until a day before the first phase of placements begins on December 1. A spokesperson for the placement cell of IIT Delhi (IIT-D) told HT that the number of PPOs received by the institute as of November 2 was above 135. “PPOs are looking great, despite the prevailing situation [of economic slowdown],” said the spokesperson. Last year, IIT-D had received over 164 PPOs.

This year due to the lockdown, placement interviews, group discussions and tests will be conducted online across IITs.