Whalesbook
Record Placements Amid Economic Challenges
India's top non-engineering colleges are achieving a record placement season for the class of 2026, even as the economy faces challenges. Institutions like Delhi University's St Stephen's and Lady Shri Ram College (LSR), Loyola College in Chennai, Christ University in Bengaluru, and St Xavier's College in Mumbai have all seen higher average salaries and more job offers than the previous year.
Meesho and DE Shaw Lead Lucrative Offers
E-commerce giant Meesho was a top recruiter, offering the highest package of ₹36.25 lakh per annum (LPA) at St. Stephen's and LSR. Offer numbers climbed significantly: St. Stephen's received 56 offers, up from 41, while LSR saw its offers jump from over 100 to 154. Investment firm DE Shaw also made substantial offers, providing around ₹25 LPA for key roles at St. Xavier's College and Christ University.
Recruiters Confident in Non-Tech Talent
Meesho's CHRO, Ashish Kumar Singh, stated the company hired over 400 candidates for various roles, with packages between ₹36 lakh and ₹60 lakh. A placement executive at St. Stephen's commented, 'The placement season has been particularly strong, with more pre-placement offers (PPOs) converted, a higher number of offers, and more focused hiring by leading recruiters, reflecting sustained confidence in the talent pool.' The average salary at St. Stephen's increased to ₹15.92 LPA from ₹14.58 LPA last year. LSR reported its average package rose to ₹13.84 LPA for FY26, up from ₹12.18 LPA in FY25.
Demand High for Economics, Commerce, Math Graduates
Top offers were predominantly made to students with Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Economics (Honours), Bachelor of Commerce (B.Com) (Honours), and Bachelor of Science (B.Sc) in Mathematics (Honours). Common entry-level roles included business analyst, associate consultant, analyst, management trainee, and executive assistant to CEO, showing strong demand for analytical and business acumen.