MUMBAI: Even as the placement season began across the premier IITs on Monday, more than 20 companies were banned from participating this year. These firms had rescinded job offers made to students in the last academic year, some even as late as June or July this year, at the time of joining. Since many IITs do not allow students with existing offers to sit for further interviews, such late withdrawals not only jeopardised career prospects but also affected students’ mental well-being, said officials. IITs, therefore, unanimously decided to ban these companies from the current placement cycle. IITs tried helping the concerned students despite the time lapse.The list of banned companies was finalised after these firms revoked offers at more than one IIT. Some of them are data analytics and software-based firms. They, however, are allowed to place students through off-campus process.Also read: Placement season begins at IIT MadrasAn IIT professor involved in the placement process said the names of the companies were cross-verified by placement coordinators at 15 IITs recently. “We looked at their past records too. Some of these companies had a history of revoking offers and six to seven IITs had already banned them from participation. Offers have been revoked by some companies where some alumni are working. There were also a few companies that reduced salary packages offered in the letter. The placement cells are trying to speak to higher authorities in these companies,” said the professor.Speaking about such cancellations, a computer science graduate from IIT-Bombay’s batch of 2025, said he was hired by a trading platform last December and his joining date was June 1, 2025. “My offer was revoked on May 29. The company made me an offer of nearly Rs 30 lakh and I was more than happy to join. They revoked my offer just two days before I was supposed to join, but fortunately, I got a better offer through an alumnus in some time. Though IIT-Bombay extended help, I did not need it at that time,” said the graduate. He said some of his friends’ offers were revoked too, but a few of them landed other offers. “By June and July it becomes difficult for the institutes too to help with placements as phase-II of the process concludes by the end of the academic year,” he said.The professor added that the IITs this year have also decided to emphasise more on participation by start-ups promoted by the Centre under the Viksit Bharat programme. “The job market is slow, but we are trying to reach out to many more companies and encourage start-ups incubated on prominent campuses to reach the best targets,” he said, adding that so far the placement season looks good.
