In this year of economic downturn, IIT-Kharagpur — the oldest IIT in the country — failed to garner 100 per cent placement of its students. While 87 percent of BTech students secured placements, the percentage of post-graduate students (MTech/MSc) managing to get placements stood at only 50 per cent.

On Saturday, during the convocation address it was mentioned that the placement percentages stood at 78 and 49 respectively among the students completing the undergraduate and postgraduate courses, but later it was revised to 87 and 50 per cent.

According to the institute, average salary this year has slipped to Rs 6 lakh per annum from last year’s Rs 7.44 lakh — nearly 20 per cent dip.

But there is good news also. With the fear of recession fading out, the companies are again flocking to the IITs for hiring the students.

“About 14 companies are eagerly looking for the students and have approached us. Since the students had left the institute in May, we are not able to contact them and arrange their placements,” said B K Mathur, the placement-in-charge at the institute.

As in the IIM Calcutta, the PSUs were one of the highest recruiters of the IIT alumni this year.

Coal India hired 30 students followed by National Thermal Power Corporation (16), Steel Authority of India Limited (14) and Bharat Heavy Electrical Limited (19).

Institute officials pointed that this year the number of students recruited by the PSUs has doubled from 15 to 20 percent.

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