Students from IIT Madras and SRM Institute of Science and Technology are among a select group of 13 Indian engineering graduates who have secured placements in Japan with annual packages ranging from ₹42.15 lakh to ₹56.27 lakh, facilitated by AI-driven talent platform Cognavi. The development highlights the growing global demand for Indian engineering talent, even amid ongoing geopolitical and economic uncertainties.
IITM student secures technical development role with PPO pathway
From IIT Madras, Malga Vinay Kumar has secured a role in Technical & Product Development, covering areas such as analog circuit design, digital circuit design, software design, and mechanical/enclosure design, with a salary of ₹46.78 lakh. The opportunity includes an internship scheduled from May to July 2026, followed by a pre-placement offer (PPO).
SRM students dominate high-paying data science and engineering roles
A significant number of selected candidates are from SRM Institute of Science and Technology. Golla Chinna Siva Rahul, Kandula Ajay Kumar, and Polisetty Krishna Bindu have been placed as Data Scientists (Data Engineers) with the highest package of ₹56.27 lakh.
Deekshitha Boreddy, Makkena Pradeepika, and Routhu Jaya Rohith have secured roles as System Engineers with a package of ₹38.37 lakh, while Gautam Binodh and Harshini Nuthalapati have also been placed as System Engineers with a package of ₹36.46 lakh.
Diverse engineering roles across design, application and electrical domains
Manoj Manivannan Penumudi has been selected as a Design Engineer with a salary of ₹36.11 lakh. Bandla Lakshmi Komali and Suhail Ahammad have joined as Application Engineers with packages of ₹40.44 lakh, and Mohammed Sohail has secured a role as an Electrical Development Engineer with a salary of ₹40.64 lakh.
IIT Mandi candidate joins technical product development track
From IIT Mandi, Veedhee Channey has also been selected for a Technical & Product Development role similar to the IIT Madras profile, with a salary of ₹46.78 lakh, along with an internship from May to July 2026 leading to a PPO.
Competitive selection funnel driven by AI-based screening
The highest offer in the cohort touched ₹56.27 lakh (9.6 million yen), while the average stood at 7.1 million yen. According to the company, a total of 127 students applied for the programme. Through an AI-led process involving skill mapping, video assessments, and cultural fit evaluation, 20 candidates were shortlisted, of which 13 were finally selected.
Placements span Japan’s core manufacturing and technology sectors
The students have been placed in Japan’s manufacturing and technology sectors across roles such as data engineering, system engineering, electrical development, application engineering, and product design.
AI bridging global talent demand and supply gap
“The global engineering talent shortage is a matching problem, not a supply problem. India produces world-class engineers, but the connection to global demand has been limited. AI is helping bridge that gap,” said Cognavi India Managing Director & CTO, Varun Modgill.
Shift towards skill-based hiring over traditional metrics
The company said its proprietary AI-based matching technology evaluates candidates based on actual technical competencies rather than traditional academic metrics, aligning them with specific international job requirements.