The landscape of international job offers for students from leading Indian institutions is experiencing a shift, influenced by evolving global hiring strategies. V Kamakoti, Director of IIT Madras, observed a reduction in international offers, noting that many companies providing these opportunities also maintain offices in India, a trend he believes could strengthen the domestic ecosystem.
Data from selected Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) illustrates variations in international offers during recent placement seasons. For instance, IIT Delhi reported 50 international offers out of 1200 total phase-1 offers for 2024-25, while IIT Bombay recorded 78 international offers from 1475 total offers in 2023-24.
Neeti Sharma, CEO of HR firm TeamLease Digital, indicated that this trend reflects a broader corporate emphasis on India-based work, near-shore teams, and local hiring abroad. She projects that overseas offers, particularly for students from tier-2 and tier-3 campuses, will likely decrease, leading to increased competition and a higher demand for immediately deployable skills. Sharma also suggested that fewer new H-1B visa departures combined with an increase in returnees could add pressure on India’s mid-level tech workforce, with international roles predominantly going to specialized talent. For campus hires, this implies a probable decrease in U.S.-based offers and a rise in opportunities within India or near-shore locations.
Students are therefore advised to adopt an India-first plan complemented by a global outlook to effectively capitalize on both domestic and international opportunities.
Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/education/jeemain-2026-will-h-1b-visa-rule-impact-the-upcoming-placement-season-in-iits-and-iims-10279655/