Placements 2026: IITs see strong early momentum; job offers set to rise
India’s premier engineering colleges are witnessing encouraging signs ahead of the 2026 placement season, with recruiters showing stronger intent to hire despite global economic uncertainties and trade tensions.The placement process for the graduating class of 2026 at the seven older Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs)Bombay, Delhi, Madras, Kharagpur, Kanpur, BHU, and Roorkee, will officially begin in December.Recruiter registrations are underway, and officials told ET that early trends point to more companies, greater interest from high-frequency trading (HFT) firms, and higher job opportunities than last year.High-frequency trading (HFT) companies remain among the most aggressive recruiters. Global names such as Jane Street, Graviton Research Capital, Hudson River Trading, Millennium Management, and Da Vinci Derivatives have been regular participants at IIT placements in recent years. This year, officials expect even higher engagement.“There is rising participation from companies in software, AI, data-driven roles, BFSI, startups, HFT firms, as well as semiconductor and core engineering sectors this year,” said Sanjay Gupta, chairperson, Career Development Centre, IIT Kharagpur.Quantitative trading firm Atlas Research is one such recruiter scaling up its IIT intake. “We’ve grown significantly, and we need talent to scale further. We’ll hire from streams such as computer science and engineering, and maths and computing,” founder Sudeept Sinha told ET.At IIT-BHU, the early response has been particularly strong. Placement coordinator Sushant Kumar Shrivastava said last year’s final placements closed with 1,405 offers, and “we expect an even better lineup this time.”The campus has seen a sharp rise in participation from data science and analytics companies. Several HFT firms, including Tower Research Capital, Edgefocus, NK Securities, APT Portfolio, Quadeye, and Graviton, have confirmed their participation. IIT Roorkee is also observing a surge in recruiter registrations, especially from HFT firms, startups, and global companies. “The upcoming placement season is expected to be highly promising, with strong participation anticipated from leading recruiters worldwide,” said Vivek Pancholi, professor in-charge of placements and internships. He added that average salaries are also expected to rise.At IIT Kharagpur, which received more than 1,800 offers from over 400 companies last year, Gupta said this year’s “early lineup is very encouraging, with stronger participation in several segments compared to last year.”IIT-BHU has rolled out a sector-focused outreach model this year, with dedicated teams engaging with recruiters in quant, software development, data, and consulting. “The idea is to strengthen our connection with recruiters in a more targeted manner,” Shrivastava explained.Meanwhile, IIT Roorkee is conducting surveys with alumni working in core sectors to better understand employer needs and fine-tune its placement strategy. While uncertainties remain in the global economy, placement officials at leading IITs are optimistic.
