The allure of campus placements and the long-held “dream job” bubble around India’s premier institutes is starting to crack. Despite the premier institute brand name, thousands of students are graduating without offers in hand, raising questions about the real value of elite degrees in today’s job market.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), CA Nitin Kaushik wrote, “The Ugly Truth About Campus Placements at India’s Top Colleges. Still living in the ‘IIT-IIM = Dream Job’ bubble? Time to WAKE UP. The numbers are out — and they’re brutal.”
Brutal numbers
According to Kaushik, placement statistics this year have been sobering:
- Across all 23 IITs, nearly 38% of students remain unplaced — that’s over 8,000 graduates still job hunting.
- At IIT Delhi, only 61% secured jobs, leaving 738 students in the lurch.
- At IIT Bombay, while rumors claimed 36% were unplaced, official data clarified around 6.1% remain without jobs — with many others settling for offers under ₹6 lakh per annum.
- At IIM Kashipur, allegations suggest students were forced to “opt out” of placements to protect the institute’s success rate.
- At IIM Vizag, 1 in 6 students (59 candidates) are still unplaced.
Why the placement crisis?
Kaushik points to a mix of global and local factors:
- The ongoing tech winter with IT and consulting firms cutting down hiring.
- Startups freezing budgets, halting mass campus offers.
- A global slowdown that has pushed companies into cautious spending.
- Over-intake at IITs and IIMs without corresponding demand in the job market.
- And perhaps most tellingly — degrees no longer guarantee skills. Employers, Kaushik argues, are looking for return on investment, not just brand tags.
The harsh truth & The way forward
“The IIT/IIM tag is NOT your ticket to success anymore,” Kaushik warned. Instead, he urged students to take control of their careers:
- Upskill in AI, data analytics, finance, and product management.
- Stop relying solely on placement cells; instead, build a personal brand.
- Focus on resume impact, internships, and projects.
- Side hustles and real work experience can stand out more than theory.
His closing note was blunt: “Even India’s brightest students are struggling in 2025. If they aren’t safe, what makes you think you are? This is not fear-mongering. This is your wake-up call to stop glorifying college brands and start investing in you — your skills, your mindset, your hustle.”