MNCs introduce higher pay slabs in campus placements but few students secure top roles in Telangana

Hyderabad: Even as several multinational companies (MNCs) introduced new, higher pay slabs—going up to Rs 27 lakh per annum—in campus placements, only a handful of students secured these roles, as hiring managers were said to be looking beyond just coding skills.Training and placement officers said companies were seeking students with in-depth knowledge of core concepts such as advanced data structures and algorithms (DSA) and dynamic programming, along with strong communication and presentation skills. As a result, only one or two students are selected for the highest packages."These new slabs are meant to attract the brightest students. Very few with deep conceptual understanding are actually selected," said J Upendar, assistant professor at Osmania University. He added that during the 2025–26 academic year, several top IT companies visited the campus to recruit students across multiple pay packages."The number of students getting offers in the lower packages is much higher," he said.Echoing this, J Prasanna Kumar, director of placements and projects at Maturi Venkata Subba Rao (MVSR) Engineering College, said that companies traditionally known as bulk recruiters were now being far more selective, picking only top performers."For lower packages, it is enough if a student is well-versed in one programming language. However, for the top bracket, students need strong problem-solving abilities, communication and presentation skills, along with advanced technical knowledge," he said. He added that recruitment was still open for a company offering a new slab of Rs 21 lakh per annum.Kumar said these high-value packages appeared to be aimed more at attracting young talent from competitors rather than hiring in large numbers from campuses. "Very few students are getting selected from campuses for these packages," he said.Students, too, said that although some companies conduct recruitment for all slabs simultaneously, only a limited number managed to crack the highest-paying roles."Companies mention different slabs, but they do not explicitly say which package a candidate is being interviewed for. Offers are rolled out based on performance," said N Manoj Kumar, a final-year computer science engineering student, adding that at least two times as many students were selected for lower packages compared to the top ones.The members of the Forum for IT Employees, meanwhile, said that these high packages are nothing but a publicity stunt. "Major MNCs have received backlash for staying away from campus placements and not increasing starting salaries of freshers for decades. So, they have come up with a lucrative package, but the fact remains that students are being hired only for the basic package," said C Vinod Kumar, president of the forum.