Mangaluru: Artificial intelligence is changing the nature of campus recruitment at engineering colleges across Dakshina Kannada and Udupi, with companies increasingly looking for graduates who can take on specialised product engineering roles rather than conventional entry-level coding jobs.

The shift is also reflected in starting salaries. College placement officials said engineering graduates recruited for specialised positions are now receiving annual packages ranging from around Rs 7 lakh to Rs 21 lakh, compared with the traditional entry-level offers of Rs 3 lakh to Rs 4 lakh.

Rashmi Bhandary, dean of training and placement at Sahyadri College of Engineering and Management, said companies were increasingly concentrating on higher-end positions as basic coding roles were gradually being reduced because of AI-driven automation.

“Companies which are coming are hiring only for the high-end role, not for the lower role because low-end roles are being phased out due to AI, so engineers are now getting more into product development with better compensation,” she said.

However, the move towards better-paying positions has also made campus selection considerably more competitive. Students are now expected to demonstrate stronger technical abilities and a deeper understanding of engineering concepts rather than relying solely on basic programming skills.

Leading technology companies, including Microsoft and Amazon, continue to recruit from some of the prominent engineering institutions in the region. While campus placements have seen offers of up to Rs 79 lakh a year for some students, off-campus recruitment last year reportedly resulted in packages reaching as high as Rs 1.2 crore annually.

KV Sriram, associate director of industry liaison, Placement and Practice School at Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal, said students needed to strengthen their understanding of core concepts as AI increasingly takes over routine coding tasks.

According to him, proficiency in areas such as data structures and algorithms will remain crucial. “Students should be more familiar with fundamental knowledge like data structures and algorithms because basic coding is being handled by AI, which should only be used as a tool and not as a replacement,” he said.

Placement departments are consequently expanding their focus beyond conventional training. Several institutions are encouraging students to pursue industry-recognised certifications and acquire specialised skills to improve their chances of securing jobs in an increasingly technology-driven recruitment environment.

The changing employment landscape was also reflected at Alva’s Pragati 2026, the 16th edition of the large-scale placement drive conducted by the Alva’s Education Foundation. The two-day event brought together 332 companies and 15,539 candidates from different educational and professional backgrounds.

The recruitment drive generated 2,416 spot offers, while 6,183 candidates were shortlisted by participating companies.

The IT and IT-enabled Services (IT/ITeS) segment accounted for 1,301 shortlists and 96 spot selections through 34 participating companies, underlining the continued demand for technology professionals despite the changes brought about by AI.

Among the companies participating in the drive, Woodrock Infotech offered work-from-home positions to 17 shortlisted candidates, while Protalk Solutions selected 39 candidates for jobs based in Chennai.

In another notable outcome, Elogixa offered one candidate an international on-site opportunity in Congo, Africa, according to the Alva’s Education Foundation management.

The developments indicate a broader shift in campus recruitment, with engineering graduates increasingly being assessed for their ability to understand, develop and work on technology products rather than simply perform routine coding tasks.