By Buoyanci
For decades, the campus placement drive was India’s annual rite of passage. Recruiters arrived in fleets of buses; classrooms turned into interview zones; and every accepted offer became a moment of pride for families across the country.
But that old rhythm is fading. The surge of AI-driven automation, remote work, and global hiring slowdowns has changed the script. Many students now find themselves at an unfamiliar crossroads — where a degree no longer guarantees a career, and curiosity, not conformity, opens the next door.
“Earlier, our seniors just had to clear aptitude tests to get into big IT firms. Now, even to get shortlisted, you must show what you’ve built — not just what you’ve studied.”
— Harshini S, final-year student, Bengaluru
The Numbers Tell the Story
Recent coverage in mainstream Indian media has been consistent on one point: skills-first hiring is now the norm.
- 67% of Indian engineers say AI is already reshaping their jobs and tasks. (Times of India, 2024)
- 85% of students report upskilling on their own — via NPTEL, Coursera, Udemy, and college innovation cells. (India Today, 2024)
- 73% of recruiters say they now prioritise demonstrated talent over college pedigree. (Times of India, 2024)
- Graduates with AI / ML / IoT skills are being hired faster and at higher salary bands. (Economic Times, 2024)
“A degree without skills won’t cut it anymore. Employers now hire for day-one readiness, not potential two years later.”
— Suresh Nair, HR Head, multinational automation company
From Classroom to the Creator Economy
Across Indian campuses, a quiet shift is taking place. Mini-projects are morphing into prototypes, and side hobbies into startups.
At institutions in Coimbatore, Chennai, Pune, Mangaluru and Hyderabad, students are:
- Building AI-enabled defect detection tools for small manufacturers.
- Creating multilingual AI chatbots for internal college administration.
- Training lightweight generative models for medical or edtech use.
The emphasis is moving from “What is your CGPA?” to “Can you show me what you’ve built?”
“We’ve stopped waiting for companies to come to us. If we can build something valuable, companies will find us.”
— Vivek Rao, ECE student, Hyderabad
The New Apprenticeship: Hackathons, Freelancing & AI Co-Pilots
Instead of waiting for corporate internships, students are testing themselves in real markets — building apps, solving design challenges and even earning stipends online. Platforms like Kaggle, GitHub, Devpost and Upwork have become the new “training grounds.”
“My first paid project came through a hackathon. I built a small generative design plugin for a US-based firm. That one experience taught me more than two semesters combined.”
— Ananya Jain, 3rd-year CSE, Pune
AI itself has become the mentor. Students are using ChatGPT, GitHub Copilot and other AI tools to speed up coding, content prep, report writing and even idea validation.
“More than technical skills, I look at how comfortably candidates use tools like ChatGPT. We don’t need coders who fear AI; we need thinkers who use it as leverage.”
— Mohan Kumar, founder, Hyderabad-based software firm (as reflected in 2025 recruiter interviews)
When Recruiters Look Beyond the Textbook
Forward-looking colleges are responding. Many have introduced:
- AI and data science electives for non-CSE branches,
- Design Thinking and Product Innovation labs,
- Industry-co-taught capstone projects.
“Knowledge gained in the first year is often outdated by graduation. Our goal now is to teach adaptability — how to learn, unlearn and relearn.”
— Dr. Shubha Ramachandran, Dean (Academics), Bengaluru
Recruiters are aligned with this view.
“Technical ability is baseline; curiosity is the differentiator. We assess how students reason, collaborate and communicate — those traits survive every wave of automation.”
— Ritu Anand, senior talent manager, Indian IT major
The Human Edge in a Machine Age
As AI takes over repeatable tasks, students are rediscovering what can’t be automated — empathy, ethics, teamwork, cultural intelligence. Leadership cells, debate forums and volunteering initiatives are no longer “extra” — they are future insurance.
“Soft skills are not side skills. In an AI world, empathy and ethics will decide who builds trust — and therefore, who gets hired.”
— Manisha R, alumna & startup mentor
The World as the New Campus
Remote work and global collaboration have flattened access. A student from Mysuru can now work for a startup in Estonia; someone from Jaipur can fine-tune AI models for a Singapore healthtech firm. Several 2024–25 hiring reports noted that a substantial part of Indian tech teams now come from Tier-2 and Tier-3 colleges — proof that skills-first hiring is real.
“The world has become one big open-book exam. Anyone can find the answers — but only those who ask the right questions will thrive.”
— Prof. Ravi Menon, Anna University (industry interaction board)
Quick Facts (2024–25)
AI changing engineering jobs : 67% of engineers say their work is already being reshaped by AI Times of India, Sept 2024
Upskilling is mainstream 85% students/freshers are learning online to stay relevant India Today skills coverage, 2024 Skills
over pedigree 73% recruiters prioritise talent over institute brand TOI education report, 2024
Premium for AI/ML/IoT AI-skilled engineers are hired faster and at higher salary bands Economic Times, 2024
1.5 million engineers graduate India continues to be the largest engineering talent producer AICTE, 2024
Why This Isn’t a Crisis, But a Reset
The thinning of campus recruitment looks like bad news on the surface — but it has triggered something positive: ownership. Students are no longer passive recipients of jobs; they are becoming designers of careers.
“My parents worry because no one’s getting placed easily. But I’ve built a small IoT startup with my friends. It’s not a job yet, but it’s a direction.”
— Sohail Shaikh, final-year Mechanical, Aurangabad
That, perhaps, is the real story of Indian engineering in the AI era: not mass hiring, but mass reinvention — one student, one project, one purpose at a time.
Source Links (for editor verification)
- Times of India – skills-first hiring & AI-ready curriculum (2024–25 education reports)
- Economic Times – AI/ML/IoT graduates getting higher salaries
- India Today – engineers upskilling to stay relevant
- AICTE 2024 intake / graduation numbers
Author: Buoyanci — Co-create, unlock value.