Now Reading: Campus talent shuns risk, sales roles for glamour jobs
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Campus talent shuns risk, sales roles for glamour jobs
India's campus hiring is seeing a mismatch as students flock to high-paying roles in investment banking, equity research and consulting, leaving positions in risk management, compliance, operations and manufacturing understaffed. Placement officials at top institutes like IIM Ahmedabad say students prioritise compensation and long-term career prospects, with fees of up to Rs 28 lakh at older IIMs reinforcing the trend. Median compensation at IIMs has risen 25-40% since 2020, but firms say geopolitical uncertainty is making them cautious about hiring plans.
Industry leaders including Edelweiss Mutual Fund CEO Radhika Gupta and Mahindra Manulife CEO Anthony Heredia note that roles in equity research and fund management enjoy a 'glamour' tag, while the bulk of jobs in sales, technology, risk and compliance remain less visible. Gupta urged students to look at areas like private debt, real assets, AIF and risk management where demand is likely to grow over the next 15-20 years with less competition. PwC India's Suchindra Kumar said students often choose streams based on an illusion of lifestyle rather than actual career knowledge.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The core issue is a supply-demand skew in India's professional workforce: a handful of high-visibility careers absorb a disproportionate share of top engineering and management graduates, while essential but less glamorous functions struggle to fill roles. This is not new, consulting and finance have long drawn the brightest, but the gap may widen as the economy grows and requires more specialists in compliance, risk and operations. The next signal to watch is whether placement data for the 2026 batch shows a shift in preferences or if companies start offering differentiated pay for less popular roles.
Source: livemint.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Methodology and corrections.
