Tepid IT growth tilts scales, core engg courses get mojo back

ECE COMES SECOND, AI PUSHED TO THIRD

- BINITA JAISWAL

Amid slowdown in software jobs and layoffs by tech majors, core engineering courses such as Electronics and Communication Engineering (ECE), Civil and Mechanical Engineering seem to be back in the reckoning in Tamil Nadu, piggybacking on the boom in the semiconductor industry.

ECE has become the second-most-sought-after course this year in TN engineering counselling, surpassing Artificial Intelligence and Data Science (AI&DS) and Information Technology (IT). Last year, after the first round of counselling, only 3% of seats in civil and mechanical courses were filled, but this year the admission figures for the streams have doubled to 6%, an analyst said.