Ranchi, Sept. 8: A little over a week into the annual placement season for technology institutes and it’s the old economy behemoths that are grabbing the best brains leaving behind the hitherto popular IT upstarts.

If at the Indian School of Mines University (ISMU), Dhanbad, industry giants in mining and civil engineering were the top draws for those in the race for jobs, the trend was more or less maintained at the BITs at Sindri and Mesra.

Led by the likes of ArcelorMittal and Schlumberger, at ISMU, Dhanbad the first week of campus placements saw as many as 52 students selected — and all by companies in the core sectors of mining, energy and basic engineering.

While the Mittals recruited seven students to be posted in Canada with the highest offer of Can $ 5,500 to 6,500 per month (Rs 27 lakh to Rs 33 lakh per annum), world renowned oil and energy giant Schlumberger offered annual packages to the tune of Rs 18 lakh to 10 students.

Other energy sector companies were there too.

While Shell Technology shortlisted three students offering them between Rs 10 to 14 lakh per annum, Cairn Energy offered Rs 12 lakh per annum to as many as five students. Two others, Telcon and Mecon, recruited three and seven students respectively with annual packages ranging between Rs 4 lakh to Rs 6 lakh.

There are others in the pipeline too.

British Gas India (BGI), National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC), Reliance Industries, Reliance Energy, Baker Hughes, Samsung India, Aricent, Oil India, Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL), Global Logic, Sandvik, Cummins and Coal India Limited — all core sector companies.

Chiranjeev Kumar, the training and placement officer at ISMU, however, said the IT and other service sector companies would arrive for interviews during the next rounds of placements scheduled to begin on October 13.

Among those expected to come calling were Computer Science Corporation, Adhunik Group of Industries, Infosys, TCS, Wipro, Patni Computers and Satyam Computers.

At BIT, Sindri too it was Jamshepdur Utilities and Services Company (Jusco), a 100 per cent subsidiary of Tata Steel, that offered the maximum annual package of Rs 5.5 lakh to as many as five students graduating in 2009.

Major players in steel and mining were here, too.

While Vedanta group recruited more than 30 students with a package of over Rs 4.5 lakh per annum, Jindal South West recruited about 30 students offering each Rs 4 lakh per annum.

“Although software companies like TCS, Infosys and Satyam shortlisted over 150 students, their annual package was between Rs 3 lakh to Rs 3.5 lakh. Old economy companies came up with better deals, while for the first time companies like Vedanta offered a loyalty or retention bonus keeping in mind the high rate of attrition,” said Girijesh Kumar, head of the Sindri campus geology department, who doubles up as training and placement officer.

At BIT, Mesra over 500 students have already been placed, but their salaries weren’t made public.

“Although IT companies selected more students, they have reduced the packages on offer,” said P.K. Barhai, BIT, Mesra vice-chancellor.