How widespread is the SIP (summer internship) struggle at Tier-2 schools?
The SIP struggle at Tier-2 MBA schools is now the norm, not the exception. 50 percent or more of recent batches at most Tier-2 programs report being unplaced well past the point where prior cycles had wrapped up. This is not a single-college anomaly. It is a market-wide shift affecting programs from TAPMI and FORE to IMT Nagpur and BIMTECH.
What the Numbers Actually Show
The typical Tier-2 SIP stipend has collapsed. Candidates who expected ₹30,000-50,000 monthly (the two-year-ago benchmark) are now accepting ₹10,000-15,000 monthly roles, or unpaid internships with vague "pre-placement opportunity" language attached.
Schools that once placed 80-90 percent of their batch through campus drives now struggle to cross 50 percent by the traditional April-May window.
| Metric | Two Years Ago | Current Situation |
|---|---|---|
| Campus placement rate by April | 80-90% | Below 50% at many schools |
| Average stipend range | ₹30,000-50,000/month | ₹10,000-15,000/month |
| Firms like Accenture Strategy per campus | 10-15 interns | 2-3, or skip entirely |
| Batch sizes (typical Tier-2) | 180-240 seats | 240-360 seats |
Even candidates with solid pre-MBA profiles, including two to three years at Deloitte, TCS, or Infosys, are facing zero shortlists. The issue is not candidate quality.
It is a supply-demand mismatch that worsened sharply through 2023-2024.
Why This Is Happening
Three drivers explain the shift. First, macro hiring slowdowns hit consulting, BFSI, and product roles hardest. Firms like EY Parthenon, Accenture Strategy, and mid-tier consulting shops that historically hired 10-15 interns per Tier-2 campus now take 2-3, or skip the campus entirely. BFSI recruiters such as mid-market PE and IB boutiques similarly pulled back intern headcount.
Second, batch sizes at most Tier-2 schools expanded from 180-240 to 240-360, flooding the market without any corresponding recruiter expansion. Third, recruiters tightened profile criteria, now prioritizing Tier-1 undergraduate degrees, prior experience at MBB or FAANG, or specific certifications like CFA Level 1 or PMP.
What You Should Do Right Now
Treat the campus SIP process as one channel, not the guaranteed channel. Start self-sourcing in January, not March.
The candidates who land good stipends at Tier-2 schools are typically the ones who had two to three conversations going outside campus before the official drive even opened.
- Build a targeted outreach list of 30-40 startups, mid-market firms, and boutique consultancies on LinkedIn before December of your first year.
- Use alumni networks aggressively. Ask your placement cell for a batch-year-wise alumni list, not just the highlight reel.
- Cold email directly to founders and principals at growth-stage startups. Response rates are low, but 3 in 40 is enough.
The Honest Takeaway
This is hard. Don't pretend otherwise.
The Tier-2 SIP market in 2024-2025 requires you to treat your internship search the way a Tier-1 student treats their final placement: with a structured tracker, weekly targets, and zero dependency on your placement committee delivering roles. Schools have incentive to show optimistic data.
Ask for batch-level unplaced numbers, not aggregate statistics, before you enroll.
Pro Tip: Email your target company's mid-level manager (not HR) directly in January with a two-paragraph note that names a specific problem they face and proposes a project-based internship around it. Response rates jump from under 5 percent to 15-20 percent with this approach.