IT companies decide to hire only in last semester: The IIITM perspective

NASSCOM has already given a clear indication of moving placement activities to last semester few months back, this week's IT companies' unanimous decision has abridged supplementary brainworks.

“All our member companies have unanimously taken this decision. The change is not only for this year, it is permanent,” said Som Mittal, president of software industry body Nasscom. The decision taken by Nasscom is unlikely to be reversed even if demand picks up. In fact, the trend may even catch up with companies outside the IT industry.(source:ET Bureau).

Note: the placement figure for 2008-09 is old, the latest is 85%

This news has many implications for IT institutes. Being an apex IT and management institute in the country, IIITM Gwalior owes larger responsibilities.


"As being a research oriented institute, placement was never a big concern for us. We should focus on imparting a quality education in knowledge economy and should strive together towards global excellence", says Prof S.G. Deshmukh, director ABV-IIITM Gwalior.

IIITM Gwalior is ingrained for its distinguished 5-year integrated postgraduate program. So, it may work in both directions for the institute.

"Here companies start visiting the campus in IXth semester, so shifting the placement activities to Xth semester won't affect the whole process,rather it would provide an extra time for students to focus on their thesis and different electives and ably be prepared for placement activities in the last semester", prof. S. G. Deshmukh trails off.

On the other hand Dr. Santosh Rangnekar,Training and Placement coordinator of ABV-IIITM Gwalior says ,"we will keep continuing with the placement activities like arranging various seminars of eminent speakers, CEOs, ; conducting mock GDs/PIs; taking different personality development sessions."

"In this case we will try to contact non IT companies and will invite them for campus recruitment. we have different programs running here like two year MBA/M.Tech courses which demand multi-sectors ", shrugs Dr. Rangnekar.

Meanwhile the student community here in IIITM are a bit apprehensive about their future.They are in constant touch with their Alumni mentors. Some are taking audacious decision of taking various certification courses like CISA, CFA, FRM, PRM or writing GRE, GMAT, CAT in the penultimate semester.

Whatever might be the final implications, one thing is certain that too much hyped recession and Nasscom recent directives have disturbed the student community in their hibernation. Eventually it's providing much waited positive shift in the higher education in India.