By team abhyaspeeth 
Pune, April 13 – Maharashtra’s engineering and management colleges are witnessing a concerning slump in campus placements this academic year, reflecting a nationwide trend of hiring freezes, changing student preferences, and increased competition for fewer roles. Institutions that once saw packed interview panels and celebratory offer letters are now reporting unplaced students, lower salary packages, and dwindling recruiter turnout.
At IIT Bombay, only 75% of the graduating batch managed to secure jobs during the 2024-25 placement season, a noticeable dip from 82% the previous year. Despite a rise in the average annual package to ₹23.5 lakh, the lowest offers dropped significantly to ₹4 lakh per annum. The placement office cited the global slowdown in the tech sector and conservative hiring as major factors behind the reduced placements.
The situation is no better across other renowned colleges in Pune. The College of Engineering Pune (CoEP) saw its placement rate fall to approximately 73% this year, compared to 85% in 2022. Similarly, Cummins College of Engineering for Women reported a drop in placement figures from 611 students placed in March 2023 to just 576 this year. At Pimpri Chinchwad College of Engineering, one of the key recruiters, which had hired over 500 students in 2023, limited its intake to only 100 in 2024.
Industry experts point out several reasons for this dip. One major contributor is the economic slowdown, particularly in the IT and software services sector, where many companies have scaled back hiring. Another reason is the growing preference among students for higher studies or careers in emerging domains such as AI, data science, and entrepreneurship—moving away from traditional placements. A rising skill gap has also been highlighted, where the skills taught in colleges are not fully aligned with what companies are currently seeking.
Adding to the concern, engineering admissions themselves are witnessing a drop, with several seats in branches like Civil, Mechanical, and Electrical Engineering going vacant, indicating a declining interest in these fields.
This trend serves as a wake-up call for educational institutions to rethink their strategies. There’s an urgent need to revamp curricula, strengthen industry-academic collaboration, and integrate skill-based training programs that equip students for real-world challenges.
Stay tuned to Abhyspeeth for more in-depth coverage on education, placements, and career trends.