IT majors yet to absorb Osmania students

Over 80 students of University College of Engineering, Osmania University, who have been appointed by IT majors Wipro Technologies and Satyam Computers during the year 2007-08, are still waiting for these companies to honour their offer letters. The last batch of students was supposed to join in August 2008.

Repeated follow-ups by college officials with the companies have evoked a stock answer: “We are realigning our business focus. We will shortly take the students into the job,” a faculty member said.

During 2007-08, the college saw 555 placements from 55 companies. Among them, Cognizant Technology Solutions made 118 offers, Infosys 92, Wipro 68 and Satyam 17.

Satyam gave offer letters to 17 students during 2007-08 and in single digits during the preceding four years. However, in 2002-03, it recruited 20 students. Wipro, on its part, gave job offers to 68 students in 2007-08 and 66 students the year before, 30 during 2005-06 and to 40 in 2004-05.

Sanjeev Mehrotra, head of entry level talent, Satyam, said, “Onboarding happens on a quarterly basis. We would be able to communicate clearly after the board meeting on January 10, 2009.”

The students recruited by both Satyam and Wipro were to join for an annual salary that ranged from Rs 3.8 lakh to 4.2 lakh. The university followed it up with the respective HRs but the change in guard at both the companies is adding to the delay.

When contacted, Pradeep Bhairwani, vice-president (talent acquisition), Wipro, said: “We plan to hire everybody whom we have recruited. But given the current business scenario, the hiring will be staggered throughout the year.” He, however, did not specify when these students would be asked to report to work. “I cannot speculate on the date of joining,” he said.

“The companies might see these figures as small with respect to their scale of operations. But, the delays dent the confidence of the students,” the faculty said.

For the year 2008-09, the college has seen 459 offers coming in the first phase of placements where CTS made 134 offers, TCS 130, Wipro Technologies 119 and Infosys 76 for an average salary Rs 3.5 lakh per annum. Satyam did not participate in the recruitments for 2008-09 that began in August last year.