Two final-year BTech students of BIT-Sindri have set a new record, bagging the highest-ever package of Rs 10.5 lakh per annum from the institute that points to an improved placement scenario this year.

Vishnukant Tiwari, a mechanical engineering, and Bishwajeet Kumar, an electrical engineering, have been lapped up by Tata Steel.

The company confirmed their final appointment through a letter to the cradle's training and placement cell on August 28, offering each of them a package higher than the last year's highest of Rs 9.5 lakh per annum.

Sources said the steel major had headhunted the duo as interns last year when they were in their third year. They underwent a training programme between June 1 and July 31 in 2014 at the company's plant in west Bokaro, where they completed two different projects.

Vishnukant, son of a Bokaro Steel assistant manager S.D. Tiwari and homemaker Kamayani, credited his teachers for his feat. "The best part of BIT-Sindri is its focus on core branches, which are very competitive," he added.

Bishwajeet, son of private sector employee Biswamohan Kumar and a house-maker Kanchan, echoed Vishnukant.

In terms of number too, the lone state-run tech cradle is looking forward to a better performance in the 2015-16 placement session that kicked off in the last of week of August and will continue till the mid-next year.

Already, Tata Consultancy Service has lapped up altogether 118 students each for a package of Rs 3.33 lakh per annum while Mu Sigma, a software company, has picked up 18 students.

Speaking to The Telegraph, assistant professor, in-charge of training and placement cell of the institute, S.C. Dutta said: "Though the situation in the core sector companies are likely remain more or less the same, we are expecting better records this year with a lot of software companies coming in with lucrative offers."

Dutta added around 500 out of the 700 final-year students were eligible for campus interviews. "Last year, we secured placement for altogether 295 students. This year, we are expecting to better our record," said Dutta.