Maj Gen SK Sharma, AVSM (Retd)
Whenever we ask graduate students of Jammu and Kashmir as their favourite destination for jobs, the answer is Chandigarh, Noida, Hyderabad, Mumbai or Pune. A rough estimate indicated that the number of students preferring Bangalore is much more than any other station.
After completing their studies, students look for jobs. An inhouse exercise was carried out for engineering students to ascertain their choice of city where they would like to go. The answer from most of them was Bangalore and the impressive reasons they gave for this are:
* It has a great market for jobs and has good startup eco system
* It has a number of R&D centres attracting the technologists
* Salary in the IT industry is comparatively high
* Chances of going abroad for company jobs is very high
* Weather is excellent with the average highs around 290C and lows around 170C. Maximum temperature during March-May is not beyond 340C
Bangalore is famous for its IT industry and is often called Silicon Valley of India. It has got a large pool of skilled engineers and IT professionals. The city contributes significantly to India’s IT exports generating a large portion of country’s software and IT-related revenues.
As most of the engineering students go to Bangalore for IT related jobs, the author decided to study the pattern of various J&K colleges and focus more on any one sample college.
In Jammu province, Engineering studies are taught at IIT Jammu, Central University of Jammu, SMVDU, Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University, and colleges under University of Jammu whereas in Kashmir region main colleges are under the University of Kashmir, Islamic University of Science and Technology besides NIT and other colleges.
In Jammu province, IIT, CU Jammu, SMVDU and BGSBU were established whereas the colleges under the university of Jammu were set up during 1990s. So, a large number of engineering students from these colleges have gone to Bangalore for jobs. This university has five colleges under it viz. UIET, GCET, MBSCET, YCET and MIET (Autonomous).
A sample study has revealed that the number of students who have opted their destination as Bangalore is more from MIET (Autonomous) than other colleges. Hence this college was selected as a sample and detailed study carried out by meeting the staff as well as students from this college.
Name of this college is Model Institute of Engineering and Technology which is the only Autonomous college among all other private colleges in Jammu. However, this institute is popularly known among the locals as MIET college.
Sample survey revealed that more than 15-20% of its engineering students prefer Bangalore as the destination for jobs. The ones who went there during the first decade of this century are now at higher positions as Directors, CEOs, Vice Chairpersons etc. A few of them are working in the Central govt. offices located at Bangalore. One of its alumni, Namit Rarotra, when contacted, revealed that he is a 2003 pass-outgraduate from MIET and has attained the level of Scientist SG. He has established his credentials in the launch of many space missions from ISRO.
Some of the students have used Bangalore as a spring board for going abroad and settling there.Survey revealed that a substantial number of them have settled permanently in countries like USA, UK, Singapore, Australia, UAE etc.A few years ago, the author got a chance to visit USA and interacted with around 20MIET alumni, now settled there.
Manu Gupta stated that he passed out from MIET in 2003 and finally settled in Virginia USA. Similar is the case with Jiten Sharma, Sajan Shridhar, Shivani Vij etc. But the best part is that the author was invited to attend their alumni meet in USA. These alumni still maintain contact with each other and interact periodically. Some of them also mentor the current students at MIET under the MIET’s Alumni Mentorship programme.
One feels very happy to see that whenever these alumni come to Jammu on vacation or to attend some family function, they make it a point to visit MIET, interact with the current students and guide them on latest trends in technology in those countries. Those who have visited MIET recently included Akshat Sawhney from Singapore, Manu Gupta and Sajan Sridhar from USA,Vikram Goel from Canada and many more.
As per one estimate, currently there are 350-400 MIET alumni at Bangalore these days. A large number of them keep visiting various cities of India for marketing, providing IT solutions and exploring new market for their company. A few of them also go abroad to the headquarters of the parent companies or for undergoing further training. But still, at any one time, 60-80are there at Bangalore.
Alumni of MIET has made an association known as MIET Alumni Association (MIETAA) and got it registered under Section 8 of the Companies Act. So, it is an independent body which raises its own resources and keep conducting their programmes independently,
The Bangalore Chapter of MIETAA is very vibrant. The members keep conducting their alumni meets generally once a year besides many other informal programmes within themselves.
This year, their alumni meet was scheduled on 6th July 2025 and Mohit Gupta, President MIETAA Bangalore Chapter invited the author for the same. Mohit Gupta is currently Associate Director at Cognizant Technology Solutions, Bangalore. A few facts noticed while interacting with these alumni are as under:
* More than 50 alumni of MIET working in various companies were present in the meet. It is a very large number as compared to any institution from J&K or other states at Bangalore.
* Alumni were from the batches from 1999 till the last one which is just passed out in June 2025
* Most of them are working in the software companies
* It gave them a chance for networking.
The author met five alumni of MIET viz. Vivek, Zarika, Atul, Arjumand and Vishal who have just passed out in June 2025 and all of them got job in one company Big Basket. This job was provided to them through a senior alumni Sushant Gulati who is 2005 pass-out student and is a senior officer in the same company.
Similarly, so many senior alumni provide jobs to their current batches at MIET
Another feature of Bangalore is that it motivates outsiders to get settled here permanently. Shubham Balorea who came here for job has settled here now. I also met another alumnus, Ayoosh Gupta as well his father. His father told me that he had come to Bangalore with his son to stay for a few days. But now he has decided to settle here permanently after disposing off his property at Rehari, Jammu. Pleasant weather of Bangalore made him shift here permanently. There are many others like Arushi who are here with their parents and may decide, in years to come, to settle here.
Mohit Gupta, President MIET AA has given confidence to all the junior alumni for any any time. Very categorically, he has assured everyone of his help during any medical, legal, financial or physical problem. His junior respect him a lot.
This camaraderie is worth praising and appreciable.
All these factors motivate the technocrats from Jammu to come to Bangalore and settle here, or make Bangalore their second home.
(The author is Former Member, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi shrine Board)
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