Quick Verdict
On the clearest sourced metric — highest package offered — IIT Kharagpur wins by a wide margin, with a reported highest package of ₹2.6 crore per annum against IIT Hyderabad's ₹63.78 lakh. Average package figures are messier across sources and don't allow a clean side-by-side verdict, but Kharagpur's much larger scale, older recruiter relationships, and broader course catalog give it the edge on placements overall.
Snapshot
| Metric | IIT Kharagpur | IIT Hyderabad |
|---|---|---|
| Highest Package | ₹2.6 crore per annum | ₹63.78 lakh per annum |
| Reported average package (2025, institute-wide) | ₹22.75 lakh | Not available in sourced data |
| Highest MBA package (2025) | ₹37.63 lakh | Not available in sourced data |
| Top Recruiters | Not available in sourced data | Not available in sourced data |
Sources: pw.live, zollege.in
Detailed Analysis
The single most reliable comparison point across sourced facts is the highest package figure: IIT Kharagpur's highest package reached ₹2.6 crore per annum, versus ₹63.78 lakh per annum at IIT Hyderabad — a gap of roughly four times. That's consistent with Kharagpur's much larger scale: it's India's oldest IIT, founded in 1951, with 15,862 students and 928 faculty, giving it decades longer to build relationships with top-paying recruiters compared to IIT Hyderabad, which was only established in 2008.
For IIT Kharagpur specifically, one additional data point is available: a 2025 placement report noted the institute's average package stood at ₹22.75 lakh, while its highest MBA package reached ₹37.63 lakh that year. Note that these two figures aren't directly comparable to each other — one appears to be an institute-wide average and the other is specific to the MBA program — and no equivalent average-package or MBA-package figure for IIT Hyderabad was found in sourced research, so a full average-package comparison isn't possible here.
No sourced facts named specific top recruiters for either institute, so we can't say whether one attracts a different mix of companies than the other. What the sourced data does support is a scale argument: Kharagpur offers 180 full-time courses versus IIT Hyderabad's 78, spanning engineering, architecture, science, law, and management — a broader base of specializations that typically draws a wider range of recruiters campus-wide, even if this isn't confirmed by a direct recruiter list in the sourced facts.
Verdict
IIT Kharagpur wins on placements based on the sourced highest-package figure and its much larger scale and course breadth, with IIT Hyderabad as the runner-up. The one condition to lean toward IIT Hyderabad instead: if you're specifically targeting a smaller, newer institute where you'd rather bet on a compact, high-density research and placement ecosystem than the raw scale advantage Kharagpur has built up over 70-plus years — though sourced data doesn't include a package figure from Hyderabad strong enough to directly challenge Kharagpur's numbers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is IIT Kharagpur's highest package?
₹2.6 crore per annum, per sourced comparison data.
Q: What is IIT Hyderabad's highest package?
₹63.78 lakh per annum, per sourced comparison data.
Q: What is IIT Kharagpur's average package?
One 2025 report puts it at ₹22.75 lakh, though sourced data doesn't confirm this figure independently across multiple sources.
Q: Is there an average package figure for IIT Hyderabad?
No — sourced research for this comparison did not turn up an average package figure for IIT Hyderabad.
Q: Which top companies recruit at each institute?
Not available in sourced data — no specific recruiter names were found for either institute.
Q: Does IIT Kharagpur's MBA program have separate placement numbers?
Yes — a 2025 report cites a highest MBA package of ₹37.63 lakh at IIT Kharagpur specifically.
Q: Why is IIT Kharagpur's highest package so much bigger than IIT Hyderabad's?
Sourced facts don't state a specific reason, but Kharagpur is a much older (founded 1951), larger institute (15,862 students vs 3,946) with a longer placement track record, which plausibly explains a wider range of high-paying offers.
Q: Does course variety affect placement outcomes?
IIT Kharagpur offers more than double the courses of IIT Hyderabad (180 vs 78), which broadens the pool of specializations recruiters can hire from, though sourced data doesn't quantify how much this affects placement numbers directly.
Related
For the complete picture beyond Placements — placements, academics, campus life, and more — see the full IIT Kharagpur vs IIT Hyderabad comparison.