Only 40-per cent B-school grads find jobs

In what could be the worst-ever placement year for Indian business schools, over a week of the placement process has seen an average only 40 per cent of eligible students finding takers. This is in sharp contrast to the 80 per cent who were placed within just the first two days last year, reportsto CNBC.

At the top-rated Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, nine days of placements have gone by and sources say only 200 of the 260 students have been placed. This number falls further if the 70 pre-placement offers are removed. Take away the 25 students who already have over three years of experience, and the number falls to a measly 105. Last year, this number was achieved in just two days.

IIM Bangalore, which is a week into its placements, has seen only 120 of its 249 students get job offers. At IIM Calcutta, 207 out of 265 students have been placed in four days. In these troubled times, IIM Bangalore and IIM Ahmedabad are buying more time. They have gone in for open-ended placements, which means that placements could go on for a month or even more.

Sources say the Indian School of Business has also seen a drop in placements. Only 180 of its 440 students have received job offers after 10 days.

There's pain on the salary front as well. Analysts say the average domestic salary this year has dipped from Rs 20-25 lakh per annum to just Rs 6-7 lakh.

With top recruiting sectors like investment banking and financial services saying pass, students are banking on telecom and FMCG companies.