Ahmedabad: Vacant seats in computer and allied engineering courses across Gujarat have reached a five-year peak, with nearly half of all positions left empty in 2026. Of an extended intake of 45,620 seats, only 22,847 were filled, leaving 22,773 vacant — a fill rate of 50.1%.
“Computer engineering has retained the top position for 10 years, but demand is now going down. Recruiters who once picked eight to 10 students per campus visit now often hire only one or two. Placement coordinators at premier institutes in Gandhinagar, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that regular recruiters are either skipping campus drives or taking far fewer graduates in what has become a lean hiring year.
“The demand for computer engineering had begun to soften after dominating student preferences for nearly a decade,” said Nilay Bhuptani, principal of LD College of Engineering and member secretary of the Admission Committee for Professional Courses (ACPC). Prof RN Patel, director general of Nirma University, where over 300 students have been placed so far, said: “It is true that this year is difficult for the IT placements, but I believe the legacy institutions are overcoming it with strategic outreach – our teams including professors reached out to the IT sector in Pune, Hyderabad and Bengaluru this year with profile of our students and initiatives that has helped us both in internships and placements. ” Patel added: “The sector often works on trends, and we hope that the next cycle would be better for the industry.” Bhuptani attributed the trend to continuous seat expansion, AI disruption, and prolonged campus placement cycles that once wrapped up by July or August but now drag into October. The drop in student uptake mirrors muted industry demand and structural shifts across the technology sector.