IIT Kanpur leads in terms of average salaries, offering one of the most consistent placement performances.
IIT-Bombay and IIT-Delhi dominate high-value international packages, attracting top global recruiters.
Newer IITs, such as Ropar, Patna, and Jodhpur, are climbing their way upwards to attain competitive average packages with the older institutes.
Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) have been considered the epitome of engineering studies in India for a long time. With 23 campuses administered by the Institutes of Technology Act, 1961, they enjoy the status of Institutes of National Importance. Every year, around lakhs of candidates fight for about 16,000 B.Tech seats through JEE Main and JEE Advanced. Although academic excellence defines every IIT, one of the strong factors that determines the choices of students is placement performance. So, which is the best IIT in terms of placements?
At IITs, the placement ecosystem is highly sought after by top international and Indian recruiters. From technology to consulting, core engineering, finance, research, and even emerging domains like AI, blockchain, and robotics, a wide range of firms participate in campus drives. Domestic and international offers are both on the table, with several IITs receiving crore-plus annual packages in recent years. Research exposure, incubation of startups, and industry-driven learning help students compete at a global level.
As per the NIRF Engineering Ranking 2023, eight IITs have made it to the top ten list of engineering colleges in India. IIT Madras is ranked first for the eighth consecutive year. IIT Delhi has been accorded the second position, while IIT Bombay has secured the third rank. These three institutions are also maintaining strong overall rank across categories such as research, teaching quality, international outlook, and graduate employability. Such consistent performance reflects the robust academic environment that ultimately fuels excellent placement outcomes.
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When it comes strictly to placements, there are some IITs that exhibit exemplary performances: IIT Kanpur recorded the highest average package of about INR 28.7 LPA, making it one of the top choices for students who give priority to consistent pay outcomes. Meanwhile, IIT Bombay captured nationwide attention by recording a record-high CTC of INR 2.1 crore per annum, thus reflecting its strong connections with industries and the performances of the students.
Some of the newer IITs have delivered remarkably competitive figures. IIT Ropar, IIT Patna and IIT Jodhpur posted average packages above INR 24 LPA, proving that placement strength no longer lies exclusively with older IITs. Recruiters such as Microsoft, Google, Samsung, IBM, Qualcomm, Amazon, Accenture and ONGC continue to hire aggressively from these campuses.
Legacy status itself is not the sole factor in deciding the placement performance. Research quality, infrastructure, corporate partnerships, emerging specialisations, strength of alumni network and faculty expertise are certain other factors shaping the perception of each institute by the employers. For example, IIT Hyderabad has better collaborative opportunities because of its location near Hyderabad's IT hub.
Meanwhile, IIT Bombay enjoys strong industry linkages because it is located in Mumbai. Innovation and entrepreneurship through its incubation ecosystem have also made IIT Madras a better placement avenue for students inclined towards startups.
Below is the consolidated table featuring some of the standout IITs with their placement numbers to let aspirants get a clear view of how these institutions fare, on average and maximum packages offered:
| IIT | Average Annual Package | Highest Package |
|---|---|---|
| IIT Kanpur | INR 28.7 LPA | INR 2.3 CPA |
| IIT Ropar | INR 28.54 LPA | INR 50 LPA |
| IIT Patna | INR 28.50 LPA | INR 82.05 LPA |
| IIT Jodhpur | INR 24.38 LPA | INR 85.5 LPA |
| IIT Bombay | INR 22.7 LPA | INR 2.1 CPA |
| IIT Madras | INR 21.48 LPA | INR 1.98 CPA |
| IIT Hyderabad | INR 20.73 LPA | INR 65.46 LPA |
| IIT Delhi | INR 18 LPA | INR 2 CPA |
| IIT Guwahati | INR 17.77 LPA | INR 2.5 CPA |
| IIT Kharagpur | INR 15 LPA | INR 2.4 CPA |
Note on Abbreviations:
-LPA stands for Lakhs Per Annum (1 Lakh = 100,000).
-CPA stands for Crores Per Annum (1 Crore = 10,000,000, or 100 Lakhs).
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So, which IIT has the best placement record? It all depends on what metric you prioritize. IIT Kanpur leads in terms of average package; IIT Bombay and IIT Delhi top the chart in terms of highest domestic and international offers, respectively, while IIT Madras shows remarkable consistency driven by academic strength combined with an innovation culture.
Students should not only consider placement figures but also look at campus culture, faculty, infrastructure, location, and fit with the preferred branch before making their final choice. Eventually, every IIT offers great career prospects-what matters is to choose the one that will best fit your goals.
1. Which IIT receives the largest package for placements?
The IIT Bombay is known for consistently receiving some of the most lucrative domestic and international placements from the world's top IT companies, including many crore packages. The strong connections that IIT Bombay has established with the IT industry create a pipeline for recruitment to the school.
2. Are older IITs necessarily always better than all other newer IITs for recruitment?
The research shows that while older IITs like Bombay, Delhi and Kanpur continue to dominate overall, many of the newer IITs, such as Ropar, Patna and Jodhpur are making very rapid advances in placement statistics. The fact that the average salary for these new IITs is climbing shows that the future of placement for IITs is more related to the development of industry connections and the use of technology and infrastructure, rather than old versus new IITs.
3. Do all departments of IITs provide equally successful placements?
The research results indicate that there is a difference between placement performances amongst the departments at IITs; undergraduate degrees in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering tend to have the highest placement salaries compared to other undergraduate degrees. However, many of the non-core departments at IITs have many diversified types of placement opportunities available to their graduates in various fields, such as analytics, research and product development, which result in strong placement opportunities for graduates.
4. What factors should students consider besides placement records?
Students must also assess the following elements of an Institute: Campus Environment and Culture; Faculty Qualification: Research Environment and Campus Amenities; Alumni Support System; Alumni Status and Employment History; City where the Institution or College is Located. An IIT that fits their learning preferences and contributes to their long-term career aspirations provides better results than simply evaluating placement statistics based on salary ranges in other institutions.
5. Can students from IITs secure international roles easily?
Yes, there is considerable worldwide participation of companies recruiting IIT graduates, particularly in the IT and R&D sectors. Candidates' acceptance by International Recruiters depends on their academic performance, internship experience, coding ability, research exposure, and the quality of the candidates' overall profiles. Therefore, IIT graduates with drive and ambition will have many more opportunities to work in an international environment.