NITs, pvt colleges begin to see crore-plus salary packages

High-frequency trading firms, technology companies, startups are recruiting beyond IITs

- Pratishtha Bagai

IITs still dominate in brand, but gap at the top of the talent pool narrows.

(ISTOCKPHOTO)

Recruiters chasing elite engineering talent are no longer limiting themselves to the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs).

As demand intensifies for specialised skills in artificial intelligence (AI), data science and core engineering, top students at National Institutes of Technology (NITs) and leading private universities are now landing crore-plus offers—once the near-exclusive preserve of IIT campuses.

High-frequency trading (HFT) firms, global technology companies and venture-backed startups are expanding recruitment beyond the IITs to secure the top percentile of non-IIT institutions, often at pay levels comparable to IIT campuses. While IITs still dominate in volume and brand, recruiters say the gap at the very top of the talent pool is narrowing.