Placements: IT product firms among first recruiters

The placements have started in tech campuses across Tamil Nadu with core engineering and technology product firms being among the first recruiters.

The placements have started in tech campuses across Tamil Nadu with core engineering and technology product firms being among the first recruiters. 

IT services firms like TCS, Infosys and Cognizant have indicated to campuses that they will start hiring from September, in line with industry association Nasscom's directive. Though the initial hiring phase is encouraging, especially in the larger campuses, the overall hiring scenario is expected to be weaker than that of last year with Nasscom predicting a drop of around 17% in recruitment. 

At Vellore Institute of Technology, eBay, Flipkart and D E Shaw have arrived. While eBay recruited 15 students, Flipkart hired four and D E Shaw two. "Around 70 students have been placed," said Samuel Rajkumar, deputy director of placement at VIT. Around 3,000 students are up for placement at VIT, of which 2,200 are undergraduates. 

He said that discussions are taking place with large IT services firms although a fall in their individual recruitment numbers is likely. "We have had to invite more companies to the campus to complete 100% placements. Last year, we invited 224 companies which is the highest for us," said Rajkumar. No change is expected in the entry-level salaries, which stand at 3 lakh to 3.3 lakh a year, which has not changed for the last five years. 

At SASTRA University, Paypal, Microsoft and analytics firm MuSigma have come. Paypal recruited three, Microsoft 12 and Mahindra and Mahindra (M&M) has shortlisted seven, said S Vaidhyasubramaniam, dean - planning and development of SASTRA University. In his meetings with bulk hirers, he got the impression that recruitment will be flat for some players and worse for others. 

"Overall, IT recruitment will go down. We need to diversify our relationships. We will push hard to get new companies, especially IT product companies. We are hoping things will remain at least flat for IT services," he said. 

Core companies are among the first recruiters at SRM University too. M&M has come but is yet to announce results while Mu Sigma has recruited 27 students. Manufacturing companies and tech firms like Google are expected in the next few weeks, said a placement official at SRM. Around 3,800 students are up for placement, of which 3,000 are undergraduates. The official said Nasscom's directive of hiring in two phases — September-December and again in May-July — is expected to affect placements. 

At Crescent College of Engineering, Athenahealth has started recruiting though numbers are expected to be below 100. Fourteen companies have been confirmed so far and many small and medium scale companies are expected, said a placement official. Companies like Polaris are conducting interviews with last year's students who will join immediately. 

Smaller campuses are waiting for bulk hirers and IT services companies to arrive. It is likely to be difficult for them as companies have reduced the number of campuses they visit. 

"We will be calling more companies this time, around 55 compared to 27 last time," said M A Maluk Mohamed, principal at MAM College of Engineering, Trichy. A conclave of colleges is being organised in Trichy on September 6 to find solutions together
.