Here’s a conversation that plays out in every JoSAA counselling season without fail: a student gets a JEE Advanced rank somewhere in the 3,000–8,000 range. Not good enough for CSE at the top IITs. Now the question becomes — Mechanical at IIT Madras or Electrical at IIT Roorkee? Which branch-IIT combination actually holds up in placements?
Yes, non-CSE branches at older IITs have strong placement records. But “strong” means different things when you compare EE at IIT Roorkee to Mechanical at IIT Kharagpur. Sector composition, average packages, and placement rates all vary considerably — and branch-wise IIT placements data is something most aggregator sites compress into a single average number that tells you very little.
The Baseline Reality: What IIT Non-CSE Placements 2026 Actually Look Like
Let’s get the uncomfortable part out of the way first. According to NIRF 2025 data and placement reports across the top six IITs, core engineering branches — Mechanical, Civil, Chemical, and to a lesser degree Electrical — post average domestic packages that range from roughly ₹10 LPA on the lower end to ₹22–24 LPA at the top. That’s a wide band, and where you land depends heavily on which IIT and which sector you’re targeting.
NIRF-based analysis for 2024–25 shows that at IITs, B.Tech Electrical Engineering averaged around ₹19.88 LPA with an 84.59% placement rate across institutions, while Mechanical hovered between ₹10 LPA and ₹20 LPA depending on the institute. Chemical Engineering averaged around ₹14.58 LPA. These aren’t bad numbers — but they’re not the ₹30–50 LPA figures that make headlines, which are almost exclusively from CSE.
One thing worth flagging: a lot of what you read online conflates overall campus placement averages (which include CSE, ECE, and Mathematics & Computing graduates in large numbers) with branch-specific figures. The IIT non-CSE branches salary picture looks considerably different when you strip out the software placements.
IIT Madras Placements: The Strongest Core Engineering Brand
IIT Madras is consistently India’s #1 institute in NIRF rankings, and that matters for core placements in ways that go beyond just the salary numbers. For 2024, the institute placed 1,091 engineering students with an average package of ₹22 LPA and a median of ₹19.6 LPA — but the more interesting figures are the branch-specific ones.
IIT Madras offered an average of ₹18.50 LPA for Mechanical Engineering graduates, with major recruiters including Tata Steel, General Electric, Bajaj Auto, and Boeing. The Electrical Engineering branch at IITM recorded an average of ₹22.5 LPA, with companies like Texas Instruments, Qualcomm, and Apple visiting the campus regularly. Aerospace and Naval Architecture — niche branches that are hard to evaluate elsewhere — actually hold up well at IITM because the alumni and research network feeds directly into ISRO, HAL, and global aerospace firms.
The 40% of placements going to core sector roles at IIT Madras (per their 2024 placement report) is a meaningful figure. At most other IITs, core sector placements as a share of total offers are much lower because so many students pivot to software regardless of branch. IITM’s core placement depth is real — though it doesn’t mean Mechanical students are immune to lower salaries if they stick to manufacturing roles.
Bottom line: For the best IITs for Mechanical Engineering based on placement quality, IITM is a consistent first choice, particularly if you’re interested in R&D or manufacturing with global exposure.
IIT Bombay Non-CSE Placements: Brand Premium and Sector Diversity
IIT Bombay’s placement numbers for 2025 show an overall BTech placement rate of 83.39%, with 683 students placed out of 819 participants. The median campus package was ₹17.92 LPA. For IIT Bombay non-CSE placements specifically, Electrical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering both recorded placement rates around 87% — strong, though clearly below CSE’s near-100% rate.
What makes IITB stand out for non-CSE branches isn’t just the package — it’s the recruiter diversity. Companies like Goldman Sachs, McKinsey, and Boston Consulting Group visit IIT Bombay for roles in quantitative finance, operations consulting, and product management. Mechanical and Electrical students at IITB have historically secured these non-core offers at a much higher rate than peers at other IITs, because the brand commands entry into those interview processes.
The Electrical branch at IITB benefits particularly from the IIT Bombay nexus with the semiconductor and VLSI industry — Texas Instruments, Analog Devices, and Qualcomm are consistent recruiters. For IIT core branch placements in Electrical specifically, Bombay consistently ranks alongside or above Madras in terms of recruiter quality and package range.
IIT Delhi Core Engineering Placements: High Median, Limited Core Depth
IIT Delhi core engineering placements are interesting because the headline numbers look great but the core sector depth is thinner than at Madras or Kharagpur. For 2024–25, IIT Delhi’s BTech median package hit ₹29 LPA per NIRF 2025 data — the highest median among all IITs. But this figure is heavily pulled by the concentration of CSE, CSAI, and CSAM graduates who dominate Delhi’s placement output.
For Mechanical Engineering at IIT Delhi, an average in the ₹22–24 LPA range, with 60 of 89 registered ME students placed — a rate of around 67%. That’s lower than what IITM and IITB achieve for ME. The companies visiting for core Mechanical roles include IOCL, GE, Tata Motors, Honda, and Bosch — a solid list, though the absolute number of core job offers is limited.
Electrical Engineering at IITD performs better, with a median closer to ₹20–22 LPA and strong representation from finance and semiconductor firms. One senior IIT Delhi student noted in a public forum thread that while overall placement numbers look strong, ME students often end up competing with a much larger CSE cohort for non-core roles, which can thin out opportunities unless you have a strong profile going in.
IIT Kharagpur Placement Record: Breadth Over Depth
IIT Kharagpur is where branch-wise IIT placements get genuinely interesting for non-CSE students. KGP has a wider range of departments than any other IIT — including Naval Architecture, Agricultural Engineering, and Mining — and that breadth actually works in favour of core placement diversity.
Per NIRF 2025 and Shiksha’s placement data, the IIT Kharagpur placement record for 2025 showed 1,811 total offers made to the graduating batch, with 1,085 UG students placed. The BTech median package was ₹19.76 LPA in 2024, rising to ₹20.65 LPA by 2025. Notably, Electrical Engineering at KGP reported a median of ₹21.28 LPA, and Mechanical Engineering at ₹16 LPA.
The 400+ companies visiting KGP annually include a significantly higher share of core engineering recruiters compared to Delhi or Kanpur. Firms like Larsen & Toubro, BHEL, Indian Oil, Tata Steel, and SAIL are regular participants. This gives KGP Mechanical and Chemical Engineering students legitimate core sector options — not just the PSU default.
One honest caveat: KGP’s overall placement percentage for UG programs in 2025 was 68% — lower than Bombay or Delhi. That’s partly because the institute has a much larger student population spread across more branches, including niche ones with fewer recruiter connections. For mainstream Electrical or Mechanical, the numbers are stronger — but it’s worth noting the institutional average includes departments that genuinely struggle.
IIT Roorkee Placements: The Electrical Engineering Story
IIT Roorkee placements are where EE graduates arguably have the best relative story among all IITs. The 2025 Phase 1 data from Shiksha is striking: Electrical Engineering at IIT Roorkee posted a placement rate of 95.80%, ECE at 95.79%, and Mechanical at 89.84%. The average packages for CSE, ECE, and EE during Phase 1 stood at ₹34.05 LPA, ₹30.81 LPA, and ₹28.36 LPA, respectively.
That ₹28.36 LPA average for IIT Electrical placement packages in EE is the highest among IITs for which branch-specific Phase 1 data is available. The gap between CSE and EE at Roorkee (around 17%) is much narrower than at Kharagpur or Kanpur, where the EE-CSE gap can be 40% or more. This likely reflects IIT Roorkee’s strong industry connections with BHEL, NTPC, and the power sector — sectors that pay well for EE graduates and have historically recruited heavily from IITR.
For IIT Roorkee placements in Mechanical, the 2025 data shows a near-90% placement rate with PPOs including 20 from Mechanical alone in Phase 1. Average and median Mechanical packages at IITR sit between ₹18–22 LPA for the overall cycle. Civil is the one branch that meaningfully underperforms — 65.12% placement rate in 2025 — which tracks with the broader civil engineering job market trend across all IITs.
This surprised me a bit, honestly. Roorkee isn’t usually mentioned in the same breath as Bombay or Madras for non-CSE placements, but the EE data specifically makes a strong case for it.
IIT Kanpur: The Outlier That Needs Context
IIT Kanpur placement statistics for non-CSE branches present a mixed picture. Overall for 2024, IITK placed 576 BTech and 247 MTech students with an average phase 1 package of ₹26.27 LPA. The CSE average was ₹52.80 LPA — massive. But Mechanical Engineering at Kanpur? According to Vedantu’s placement data citing official sources, the ME M.Tech average stood at ₹10.7 LPA, with only 30 MTech Mechanical students placed.
BTech Mechanical at IITK fares better but still averages in the ₹10–15 LPA range per most available estimates. The IIT Kanpur brand is enormously valuable for students who want to pivot into quant finance, consulting, or software — but if you’re committed to a core Mechanical or Civil career path, Roorkee or Kharagpur will likely offer more recruiter depth in those specific domains.
Electrical Engineering at Kanpur is a different story — closer to the IITB/IITR tier in terms of recruiter quality for VLSI and hardware roles.
Quick Reference: Branch-Wise IIT Placements Snapshot (2024–25)
| IIT | Branch | Avg/Median Package (LPA) | Placement Rate | Key Recruiters |
| IIT Madras | Mechanical | ~18.50 (avg) | ~80% | Tata Steel, GE, Boeing, Bajaj Auto |
| IIT Madras | Electrical (EE) | ~22.5 (avg) | ~85% | TI, Qualcomm, Apple |
| IIT Bombay | Electrical (EE) | ~21–23 (avg) | ~87% | TI, Analog Devices, DE Shaw |
| IIT Bombay | Mechanical | ~20–22 (avg) | ~87% | McKinsey, Tata Motors, GM |
| IIT Delhi | Mechanical | ~22–24 (avg) | ~67% | IOCL, GE, Honda, Bosch |
| IIT Delhi | Electrical (EE) | ~20–22 (avg) | ~83% | Goldman Sachs, TI, Samsung |
| IIT Kharagpur | Electrical (EE) | ~21.28 (median) | ~80% | L&T, BHEL, Tata Steel |
| IIT Kharagpur | Mechanical | ~16 (median) | ~79% | IOCL, GE, Tata Motors |
| IIT Roorkee | Electrical (EE) | ~28.36 (Phase 1 avg) | 95.80% | NTPC, BHEL, Siemens, TCS |
| IIT Roorkee | Mechanical | ~18–22 (avg) | 89.84% | IOCL, BHEL, Thermax |
| IIT Kanpur | Electrical (EE) | ~18–22 (approx) | ~82% | Qualcomm, Intel, Goldman |
| IIT Kanpur | Mechanical | ~10–15 (approx) | ~81% | Reliance, L&T, Tata Motors |
What Students on Reddit and Forums Actually Say
The quantitative picture above doesn’t fully capture the lived experience. A few recurring themes emerge for non-CSE aspirants:
• The brand still opens doors that packages don’t show. Multiple students at IITs in Mechanical or Electrical mention that the IIT label itself gets you into interview processes at Goldman Sachs, McKinsey, or Google regardless of branch — but you need to independently build a software or quant skill set. One post from an IIT Geophysics graduate (batch of 2022) on TeamBlind was blunt: “IIT worth the effort only if you want to get into academic research. If you just want a high-paying job quickly, Tier 3 CS > IIT [core engineering].” That’s probably too harsh — but it captures a real dynamic.
• EE at old IITs is increasingly performing like a mid-tier CSE. The VLSI, semiconductor, and FPGA boom has genuinely elevated EE placement quality at Madras, Bombay, and Roorkee. Texas Instruments, Qualcomm, Nvidia, and AMD are all recruiting heavily from EE at old IITs. Several students note that EE now has meaningful “software without being software” roles that CSE dominated five years ago.
• Mechanical is the branch where the IIT split is most visible. At IITM and IITB, Mechanical students have strong access to non-core consulting and finance roles through sheer brand value. At newer or middle-tier IITs, Mechanical students are more likely to end up in core manufacturing at ₹8–12 LPA — not a bad outcome, but different from what the overall campus average implies.
• PSU placements via GATE remain the unsung hedge. For Mechanical, Electrical, and Civil students at any IIT, qualifying GATE and landing BHEL/IOCL/NTPC/GAIL through PSU recruitment is a parallel path that consistently delivers ₹10–15 LPA with stability. Many IIT non-CSE graduates use this as a floor — it changes the risk calculus of choosing a core branch significantly.
So Which IIT Should You Pick for Non-CSE in JoSAA 2026?
There’s no single right answer, but here’s how I’d frame the decision given the data:
If EE is your branch: IIT Roorkee offers the best EE-specific placement rate and a compelling Phase 1 average. IIT Madras and IIT Bombay give you better brand optionality for non-core pivots. The choice depends on whether you’re committed to core EE (Roorkee wins) or want flexibility (IITM/IITB wins).
If Mechanical is your branch: IIT Madras is the clear first choice for core manufacturing and aerospace. IIT Bombay gives you the best shot at non-core roles. IIT Kharagpur offers the most recruiter depth in heavy industry. IIT Delhi has high packages but lower placement rates for ME.
If you’re considering a newer IIT: IIT Ropar, Patna, and similar institutes have improving placement figures but meaningful gaps vs. old IITs for non-CSE. The IIT Non-CSE Placements 2026 data for newer institutes generally shows averages in the ₹10–15 LPA range with lower placement certainty. The brand does not yet compensate fully for the branch-IIT combination at these levels.
The honest framing, which many counselors avoid: if you’re choosing between a newer IIT’s Mechanical branch and an NIT Trichy or NIT Warangal’s ECE, the NIT with a strong branch may place you comparably — or better — in your first job. The old IIT name helps more in the long term, through alumni networks and higher studies. For placement in the first 2–3 years? The gap is narrower than JEE aspiration culture admits.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Which is the best IIT for Mechanical Engineering placements overall?
A: IIT Madras is the most consistent performer for Mechanical placements — deep core sector recruiter base (Tata Steel, GE, Boeing, Bajaj Auto), ~18.5 LPA average, and meaningful access to non-core roles. IIT Bombay is a close second if non-core pivoting matters to you. Both significantly outperform the field for IIT Mechanical placement statistics.
Q: Is Electrical Engineering placement at IITs better than Mechanical?
A: Generally yes, especially at IIT Roorkee, IIT Madras, and IIT Bombay. The semiconductor boom has elevated EE. IIT Roorkee EE posted a 95.80% placement rate with a Phase 1 average of ₹28.36 LPA in 2025 — numbers that rival some mid-tier CSE departments. IIT non-CSE branches salary data consistently shows EE running 20–30% higher than Mechanical at equivalent institutes.
Q: How does IIT Kharagpur’s placement record compare for non-CSE?
A: KGP has the widest core sector recruiter base of any IIT, which benefits branches like Mechanical, Chemical, and Metallurgy. The 2025 median for EE was ₹21.28 LPA and ₹16 LPA for ME. Overall UG placement rate was 68%, which sounds low but partly reflects niche departments. For mainstream Mechanical or EE specifically, the numbers are significantly stronger.
Q: Do non-CSE IIT graduates commonly pivot into software jobs?
A: Yes — at top IITs especially. IIT Bombay and IIT Delhi non-CSE students regularly secure SDE or quant analyst roles by independently developing programming skills. The IIT brand gets them the interview; the skills close it. However, this pivot is harder at newer IITs and for students without strong competitive programming backgrounds.
Q: Is IIT Kanpur good for Mechanical Engineering placements?
A: It depends on whether you mean BTech or MTech. BTech ME at IITK is decent at ~₹10–15 LPA average. MTech ME data from Kanpur’s own placement reports shows significantly lower outcomes — around ₹10.7 LPA average with 30 students placed in one recent cycle. For core Mechanical, IIT Roorkee or IIT Kharagpur offer better recruiter depth.
Q: How should I compare IIT non-CSE placements when using JoSAA 2026?
A: Don’t rely on overall campus averages — these are heavily skewed by CSE/ECE numbers. Look for branch-specific data from NIRF Engineering reports (available on nirfindia.org), and cross-reference with each IIT’s T&P cell placement brochure. The IIT Electrical Engineering placement and IIT Mechanical placement statistics articles are reasonable aggregations of official data.
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