After a year long slump due to global meltdown, first year students of elite B-schools are back in the radar of companies in finance and banking sectors which are now hiring them for summer internship programmes.

Four IIMs have managed to achieve a 100 per cent placement for their students with finance sector once again becoming the hot choice with 44 per cent students of IIM-Ahmedabad and IIM Calcutta and 30 per cent from IIM-Kozikhode preferring finance companies.

IIM-A concluded its summer placements in record four days with top-notch firms like Bain, Morgan Stanley, McKinsey and Co, Goldman Sachs and Microsoft among those offering internships.

Royal Bank of Scotland came exclusively for international roles across Hong Kong and London while for the first time, US-based Walt Disney hired from IIM-A.

"The IIM-A found it difficult to provide students with the internships last year immediately after the down turn. This year the largest-ever batch of 310 students was placed in just four days while a batch of 208 students was placed in six days last year," Ishita Solanki, Head of IIM-A's Global Partnerships, said.

Internship programmes in marketing sector grabbed 18 per cent share with positions in sales and marketing management, branding, business development and marketing research. Consulting and general management were the next two preferred domains followed by IT at 11, 18 and 9 per cent respectively.

The relatively smaller IIM Kozhikode wrapped up the process in eight days with the highest stipend offer at Rs one lakh. This year, 120 firms have made offers to a 309-strong first-year batch of the institute.

... contd.