IIT graduates get high-paying offers! The premier technology institutions of India, IITs, are witnessing an increase in domestic jobs offering substantial salary packages from various companies aiming to attract exceptional candidates.
However, fresh engineering graduates in the IT sector typically receive starting salaries between Rs 2.5-4.5 lakh, and there is minimal growth in these entry-level compensations across the country.
Several firms specialising in algorithmic trading, investment platforms and data security, including Quantbox Research, Graviton Research Capital, Rubrik, APT Portfolio, Databricks, Ebullient Securities, QuadEye, Pace Stock Broking, Squarepoint Capital and Atlas Research, are offering India-based positions with salary packages ranging from Rs 65 lakh to Rs 1.65 crore, competing actively during IIT placements to secure top talent.
IIT placement officials report significant domestic offers from various firms: Graviton (Rs 90 lakh), Quadeye (Rs 93 lakh), Squarepoint Capital (Rs 66 lakh-plus), DE Shaw (Rs 70 lakh-plus), and Pace Stock Broking (Rs 60-70 lakh-plus). Ebullient Securities, Rubrik and APT Portfolio are offering packages exceeding Rs 1.3 crore.
Students demonstrate strong interest in these substantial domestic opportunities.
IIT Placements
According to an ET report, an increasing number of organisations are providing attractive packages for India-based positions, matching international salary levels to recruit IIT graduates. These positions offer opportunities to collaborate with global teams and possibilities for international travel and relocation.
“When we are competing with US-based firms, we have to match the options these students have,” said Sudeept Sinha, partner at quantitative high-frequency trading firm Atlas Research, which has hired IIT Delhi students as quant researchers based out of Gurugram.
The annual compensation structure includes a base salary of Rs 55 lakh, Rs 10 lakh joining bonus, Rs 30 lakh minimum bonus guarantee, and additional benefits worth Rs 5 lakh, totalling Rs 1 crore.
“If we want to have talent comparable to global talent, we have to pay global salaries,” Sinha told ET.
Quantbox, a proprietary trading firm, plans to recruit 10-15 students during final placements at premier IITs, having already extended pre-placement offers to five candidates. “These roles are domestic, based in India, but offer opportunities for global exposure,” according to a company spokesperson.
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The firm’s salary structure includes first-year CTC reaching Rs 1.2 crore, with Rs 50 lakh base salary. Available positions include quantitative researchers, trading analysts, and software development engineers.
“The outlook for HFT firms continues to remain strong. With expanding market opportunities and advancement in trading technology, we are optimistic about our growth trajectory and committed and bullish to hiring top talent,” the spokesperson said.
An old IIT placement cell representative noted: “This year, quant firms are hiring in a big way for domestic roles at salaries that are even better than some of the international offers. International offers are not as preferred by students especially when they are getting such lucrative offers back home.”
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Sushant K Shrivastava, coordinator of IIT-BHU training and placement cell, observed: “The India story and Indian talent is still shining bright, even in a market full of uncertainties.”
The final placement process commenced on December 1 at established IITs, including Delhi, Bombay, Madras, Kanpur, Kharagpur, Roorkee, Guwahati and Varanasi (BHU). Several high-value domestic offers were secured through pre-placement offers, based on students’ internship performance.