Recently, Deloitte released its Deloitte India’s Campus Workforce Trends 2026 report, which highlighted how MBA is emerging as more than just a qualification for students and paying higher than the conventional engineering degree, debunking the fact that management degrees are losing relevance in the market.
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The methodology of the Deloitte survey assesses 505 institutions identified by way of the National Institutional Ranking Framework. Within each category of institutions, either MBA or BTech, Deloitte places 40 institutions in tier 1 immediately after the top 10 institutes.
Institutional category | MBA average annual compensation | Engineering average annual compensation |
Top 10 institutions | Rs 27.4 lakh | Rs 18.7 lakh |
Tier-3 institutions | Rs 8.4 lakh | Rs 5.75 lakh |
The Deloitte survey included BITS Pilani, IIT Indore, NIT Rourkela, IIT Dhanbad, Jadavpur University, NIT Calicut, etc as part of tier 1 NIRF-ranked engineering colleges, whereas tier-1 MBA institutions included IIM Raipur, IIM Trichy, IIT Madras, IIT Kharagpur, SP Jain, IMI Delhi, and more.
According to the Deloitte report, the Class of 2026 for MBA offered average salaries 52% higher than roles in the engineering domain. The increase in the MBA average salary was 47% last year for the Class of 2025 and is now projected to further increase to 59% next year for the Class of 2027.
The MBA institution placed in the top tier (that is, top 10 colleges) reflected an average annual compensation of around Rs. 27.4 lakh, more than 3.3 times the annual average salary of Rs. 8.4 lakh recorded at the tier-3 level.
However, Engineering graduates fall short in salary comparison with MBAs, with top 10 institute annual average compensation standing at Rs. 18.7 lakh, while it remained around Rs. 5.75 lakh in the case of tier-3 engineering colleges.
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According to the 250 organisations surveyed by Deloitte, campus recruiters are more inclined and willing to pay more to candidates who can connect available technology with business. This year, all 250 organizations placed greater emphasis on management-oriented roles or leadership-oriented positions rather than only technical roles.
This trend reflects the growing demand for professionals who can pair technological aptitude and analytical skills with commercial interests and strategic decision-making. Basically, professionals who can translate technology into business outcomes.
According to Deloitte India’s Campus Workforce Trends 2026 report, India’s campus hiring trends are shifting towards a more selective, skill-oriented workforce approach, where companies are putting resources into early career hiring, specialised recruitment teams, and ways to take interns into full-time employment.
Campus recruitment trend | Figure reported in the supplied draft |
Organisations with dedicated campus recruitment teams | 80% |
Organisations reporting new roles or skill requirements arising from AI developments | 35% |
Comparable figure for FY 2025 | 21% |
Organisations reporting that AI and agentic AI are changing recruitment processes | 86% |
Reported compensation premium for AI and data skills | 20–25% |
Reported premium for analytical thinking and problem-solving skills | 10–15% |
Following this, 80% of the organizations have a dedicated campus recruitment team, and pre-placement offer (PPO) conversions have also increased across categories. Moreover, AI is said to have changed the recruitment landscape, with 35% of organisations reporting new roles and skill requirements arising out of new developments in AI. It was 21% in FY 2025.
Overall, 86% of organisations feel AI and agentic AI are changing recruitment in areas of resume screening, assessments, and candidate evaluation. In addition to this, campus packages are largely influenced by the institute of the candidate, the role being offered, and skills of the candidate.
The survey also highlighted that candidates showing AI and data skills can get a premium of over 20-25% in annual compensation, while Analytical thinking and problem-solving skills are attracting a premium of 10-15%. As a result, recruiters are now giving more weight to behavioural abilities, learning aptitude, diversity, and employee retention.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
The figures attributed to Deloitte India's Campus Workforce Trends 2026 report indicate higher average compensation for MBA roles in the comparisons presented. However, individual salaries vary by institution, role, industry, skills and experience.
The supplied draft reports average annual compensation of around Rs 27.4 lakh at the top 10 MBA institutions. This figure should be verified against the original report before publication.
The supplied draft reports average annual compensation of around Rs 18.7 lakh at the top 10 engineering institutions. Candidates should check the report's methodology to understand the institutions and roles included.
The report, as described in the supplied draft, highlights employer interest in candidates who can connect technology with business objectives, alongside analytical thinking, problem-solving and leadership capabilities.
The supplied figures suggest that organisations are identifying new roles and skill requirements associated with AI. AI is also affecting recruitment processes such as résumé screening, assessments and candidate evaluation.
Not on the basis of these figures alone. Students should consider their interests, aptitude, preferred career paths, programme costs, institutional quality and employment opportunities before choosing a degree.
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