The global slowdown has adversely impacted employment opportunities even at the prestigious institutes such as at IIT Kharagpur, which witnessed steep decline in companies visiting the elite institute.

Confirming the situation, Prof Damodar Acharya, director of the IIT expressed that domestic and international firms recruited 78 per cent of the undergraduate students and 49 per cent of the post-graduate students from the campus this year.

Mr Acharya added, "There has been a decline in the number of students recruited by various companies because of economic slowdown. However, compared to the other institutes, the placement has been very good."

Meanwhile, the institute conferred a record number of 228 PhDs to the students at its 55th convocation. Last year the institute gave PhDs to 167 students. The director said that IIT's researchers will evaluate thesis within 2 months of submission, making the PhD program attractive.

IIT Kharagpur will invest about Rs 1,800 crore in order to increase the total seat capacity from 8,000 to 20,000 by the year 2020 in two phases.

It will invest Rs 800 crore in the first phase to increase capacity from 8000 students to 11,000.