IT salary packages take a beating,students opt for core subjects

“While the IT boom a few years back in the country,specially in the south,witnessed mushrooming of IT colleges,but no one knew about the quality of education being imparted at these colleges. Post-recession,companies are still coming to the colleges but the salaries being offered are meagre when compared to the offers from core companies,” said Sandeep Meshram,training and placement officer (TPO),College of Engineering,Pune.

According to Meshram,in 2005 IT companies were offering packages of Rs 2.5 to 3.5 lakhs. Five years later,they are still offering the same packages,whereas the packages from core companies have gone up to Rs 8-10 lakhs. CoEP also witnessed a huge jump in their core packages when a Japanese firm offered a package of Rs 37 lakhs.

In agreement with Meshram,Virendra Pawar,TPO,Vishwakarma Institute of Technology (VIT) said,“The salary packages being offered by IT companies haven’t increased over the years. The number of students opting for IT colleges have also dwindled considerably as they can get into an IT company even if they opt for core subjects.”

Stressing that colleges need to retain their best faculty to ensure more students come back to the industry,Rohini Vasant Mulay. TPO,Cummins College of Engineering for Women said,“This year,we have around 120 students in our IT department and almost 100 have been placed. A lot of companies have been coming for placements. However,the salary being offered to freshers is around Rs 3 to 3.15 lakh,which is relatively lesser than the packages being offered to the other departments.”