Not just IITs anymore: Crore-plus packages land at NITs and private colleges
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Recruiters chasing elite engineering talent are no longer limiting themselves to the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs).
As demand intensifies for specialised skills in artificial intelligence (AI), data science and core engineering, top students at National Institutes of Technology (NITs) and leading private universities are now landing crore-plus offers—once the near-exclusive preserve of IIT campuses. High-frequency trading (HFT) firms, global technology companies and venture-backed startups are expanding recruitment beyond the IITs to secure the top percentile of non-IIT institutions, often at pay levels comparable to IIT campuses.
While IITs still dominate in volume and brand, recruiters say the gap at the very top of the talent pool is narrowing. That change is being driven by a tightening supply of high-calibre engineers, the rising premium on niche skills and a pragmatic reassessment of hiring risk and retention.
With placements at older IITs beginning later in the year and competition for top candidates intensifying, employers are moving earlier and casting a wider net—targeting standout performers at NITs and select private universities before the market clears. “Two students from the batch of 2026 got crore offers exceeding ₹1 crore so far, while six students received a package over ₹70 lakh, and 34 students secured jobs with CTC exceeding ₹50 lakh," highlighted P Venkata Suresh, head of the Centre for Career Planning and Development at NIT Warangal, one of the country’s oldest NIT.
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