IIT Roorkee Director Prof. Kamal Kishore Pant has revealed a new trend among IIT students—many are turning away from traditional placements and instead focusing on start-ups, higher education, and independent ventures. Speaking at the institute’s convocation, he noted that while jobs in IT, finance, and consultancy continue to attract students with high pay packages, interest in the core process industries is dropping.

Students Prefer IT, Finance, and Consultancy Over Core Industries

Prof. Pant explained that students prioritize comfort and salaries when choosing career paths.

• Popular choices: IT, banking, finance, and consultancy.

• Less interest: Mechanical, chemical, and process industries.

• Reason: Better job comfort, office environment, and lucrative packages offered by global tech firms.

He emphasized that while companies like Google and Microsoft offer salaries up to ₹1–2 crore per year, core industries also provide long-term financial growth—with average packages of ₹20–25 lakh annually.

Drop in Placements Across IITs

A recent Parliamentary Standing Committee report showed that placements in IITs fell by over 10 percentage points in 2023-24 compared to 2021-22.

• At IIT Roorkee, 98.5% of students were placed in 2021-22.

• In 2023-24, out of 1,052 students, only 79.6% secured jobs.

Prof. Pant clarified that this does not signal a major decline. He said 85% of students who officially registered for placements still got jobs, while many others chose not to sit for placement because they were pursuing start-ups or higher studies.

Growing Start-Up Culture at IIT Roorkee

The Director highlighted a strong entrepreneurship trend among students.

• Teams are forming start-ups within India.

• Focus on innovation and independent projects.

• The institute supports this shift with entrepreneurship training and skill development programs.

Why Process Industries Still Matter

Prof. Pant urged students and parents not to ignore traditional fields like mechanical, electrical, and chemical engineering, stressing their role in India’s GDP and development. He said the institute is working closely with MSMEs and large industries to build opportunities in these areas.