Dhanbad, Dec. 9: Software giant Infosys today hired 139 students of BIT Sindri, the highest number ever selected by a single company during campus recruitment at the institute.

Since April, when the recruitment process for the current batch of 682 students started, as many as 286 students have been placed, and the process is not yet over with Tata Steel and Tata Software, among others, still in the queue.

Infosys, which picked up the students on a renumeration package of Rs 3.25 lakh per annum, hired 24 from the information technology department, two from mechanical engineering, 18 from electrical engineering, 13 from production engineering, 20 from chemical engineering, 10 from civil engineering, 31 from the electronics and communication engineering, four from mining and 17 computer science engineering students.

Speaking to The Telegraph, head of the department of geology at the institute Girijesh Kumar, who is also the professor in charge of training and placement, said out of 152 students who appeared for the initial written test, 139 got selected after appearing for a group discussion and personal interview.

“Infosys could have hired more if more students had appeared for the written test,” said institute director S.K. Singh. Many students waiting for selection in core sector companies didn’t even appear for the selection process of Infosys.

Kumar expressed hope that the total placement figure this year would reach 500, the highest ever. The best placement figure of the institute till date is 493, which it achieved in 2008.

Kumar’s optimism is not misplaced. There was a scramble between TCS and Infosys to be the first among the software firms to recruit from the institute, which Infosys won.

Speaking about the campus selection process, Kumar said the hiring began in April with Jamshedpur Utilities and Services Company Limited picking up three students with a pay package of Rs 5.76 lakh per annum.

Tata Telcon lapped up two students with till now the highest package of Rs 6.9 lakh per annum.

Public sector giant Hindustan Copper Limited, which arrived at the institute for campus selection for the first time this year, selected five students.

Among the others who have hired students so far are Tata TRF with eight, Vedanta with 35, Simplex with nine, Jindal Steel with 57, TVS Motor with one, KEC Multinational with six and Hindustan Motors with 20.