Placement Reporting Standards in India

When students research about B-schools, the first question they often ask is, “What salary outcome can I expect from this B-School?” While understandable, this question rarely captures the true quality and sustainability of an institute's placement outcomes.

Hence, A more appropriate question for students is, "What types of jobs will I be preparing for?" How sustainable are those careers for the future? And, finally, how transparently has the institute shared its placement outcomes? Students often lack this full picture and make important academic and professional decisions based on hearsay and incomplete information, with lasting negative consequences for their careers.

Institutes must therefore report their placement outcomes transparently and without inflation, but students must also understand the types of roles and their long-term growth prospects.

Looking closely at this landscape, there are more than 5,500 B-Schools in India. Of these, only 100-150 of them report outcomes above 12 Lakh at the median or average salary, which is often the least a serious aspirant expects to earn. Moreover, among these 150 B-Schools, less than 15% audit their placement outcomes. The rest are often accused of inflated numbers or of reporting metrics that do not show the full picture, such as providing only the top 10% average or the highest salary, rather than the median.

These practices are also often called out on public forums and communities. Therefore, institutes that audit and transparently report their placement outcomes are more likely to stand out. IIM Ahmedabad, XLRI, SPJIMR, and IIM Udaipur are some of the institutes held in high respect for following this aspect.

A student at Altera Institute, which has been able to build its reputation through transparent reporting of high-quality outcomes, high-growth roles, and its curriculum and pedagogy.

The Altera Institute is a modern upgrade to the traditional MBA, which was designed for the offline economy. As one of India's only industry-backed B-schools of its kind, it helps students break into digital and AI-first careers, which are in much higher demand than traditional roles.

As a result, its placement outcomes and reporting reflect this focus, not just in the numbers achieved but, more importantly, in the quality of roles students secure.

Placement Transparency: IPRS Audited

The Altera Institute’s class of 2025 has achieved 100% placement, and the numbers are impressive, not only because of their magnitude but also their compliance with auditing standards. The institute has adopted IPRS (Indian Placement Reporting Standards), audited by B2K Analytics, the same company and standard used by IIM Ahmedabad. This is remarkable since fewer than 5 B-schools in India adhere to IPRS year-on-year, which is less than 0.1% of all B-schools.

Under IPRS guidelines, the institute eliminates misconceptions caused by long-term or non-guaranteed components of the salary package. They report variable compensation and ESOPs under standardised provisions, and vesting and guaranteed cash schedules are also distinctly separated.

The following are the important audited figures of Altera Institute’s placement report: 

• The highest package was INR26.08 LPA, while the median was INR 18.14 LPA.
• The top 50% of the batch averaged at INR20.98 LPA in compensation.
• The overall batch average was INR16.85 LPA, with the mid-80% at INR17.03 LPA.
• More than 70% of graduates secured roles paying above INR15 LPA.

These numbers place the Altera Institute among the top 30 B-schools in India based on placement performance alone, which is a notable achievement for a young institution.

So, what does this mean for you as a student considering the Altera Institute’s PGP? 

• First, you will get strong career preparation focused on real skill-building, including hands-on projects, live client work, and problem-solving with industry mentors.
• Second, the roles you'll be prepared for are digital, data, and product-oriented, with students being placed in eCommerce, growth, and founders' office positions that accelerate learning and visibility.
• Third, since the reporting is audited and follows IPRS standards, you can trust that the figures show real, guaranteed cash earned and not just marketing claims.

The Altera Institute’s Purpose and Credibility

Altera Institute reimagines management education for a world driven by:  

• Digital business models
• AI-enabled decision making in marketing
• eCommerce, growth, and product-led organizations

Instead of focusing on traditional roles in BFSI, IT/ITeS sales or operations, Altera prepares students for in-demand, future-proof careers in consumer tech, eCommerce, D2C, BFSI, SaaS, and media.

A true validation of this approach comes from the fact that some of India’s top companies use Altera Institute to upskill their employees. Companies such as Hindustan Unilever Limited, Tata Consumer Products, Godrej, Britannia, PepsiCo, and Amazon trust Altera Institute’s curriculum for their teams. More than 6,000 professionals have already been trained through Altera’s programs, making it a trusted industry partner rather than just a campus recruitment destination.

Quality of Placements

Placement numbers are important, but the quality of roles students break into is what makes the Altera Institute unique. Traditional B-schools still prepare students for conventional jobs where competition is tough. Meanwhile, 80% of digital and AI-first jobs remain unfilled because of a talent shortage. This is the gap that the Altera Institute recognizes and wants to address.

The Institute focuses on digital, data, and high-growth roles. These are careers experiencing a massive talent shortage, so preparing for such roles not only offers faster salary growth but also position graduates to make critical decisions in modern businesses across product, growth, data, eCommerce, and founder/leadership teams.  

Role Distribution

The following are the roles graduates actually got into, as per the audited report: 

• 89% of students were placed in digital and AI-first roles, not in traditional sales or field positions.
• 35% of placements were in eCommerce roles, including marketplace development, D2C performance, and category/commerce strategy.
• 24% joined Founders' Office/EIR roles, working on strategy, expansion, and early product decisions.
• The rest is divided into growth, revenue, product management, and brand/digital strategy roles, with about 11% in traditional FMCG sales.

This focus on entrepreneurship and eCommerce shows that Altera’s students are not just getting jobs; they are pursuing careers that offer faster, more meaningful growth opportunities.

Comparative Advantage and Long-Term Growth

Digital roles tend to start closer to company revenue and data engines, which means:  

• Faster visibility and ownership
• More rapid skill accumulation
• Faster long-term salary growth compared to many traditional MBA career paths

That is why the Altera Institute pays attention to outcomes beyond the first year and considers the 3 to 5-year career trajectory.

Fresher vs. Experienced Candidates

The report by the Altera Institute separates results based on previous experience so that you can set expectations accordingly: 

• Freshers: Average INR15.88 LPA (median INR17.17 LPA)
• Working professionals: Average INR17.39 LPA (median INR 20.01 LPA)

Both groups enjoy industry-centered instruction, applied projects, more than 300 hours of career preparation, and one-on-one mentorship. 

Growth Trajectory: Class of 2024 vs Class of 2025

The report notes a clear improvement from the 2024 cohort at Altera Institute:

The institute's year-over-year growth is also equally impressive. From the Class of 2024 to 2025, median salaries have increased by 28.7%, while the top 50% average salary grew by 25.6%. This consistent upward momentum each year shows that the institute isn't resting on early success. They are focused on steadily improving outcomes as the program matures. 

Class of ‘26 Snapshot

The current PGP Class of 26 at Altera Institute has 135 students, about 65% of whom have 3 to 5 years of professional work experience. These professionals have left established companies like Nestlé, Citi, Titan, Deloitte, PepsiCo, Reliance, and others to join the Altera Institute, trusting the institute's ability to deliver on its promise.

Students this year also came from various institutional backgrounds, out of which 31% came from Science and Engineering backgrounds, 30% from Commerce, and 28% from Management.  

Geographically, 43% of the students are from North India, 30% from South India, 15% from West India, and 10% from East India. The growing cohort size each year, along with the strong industry backing that the institute enjoys, indicates the market's increasing trust in Altera Institute’s model of education.

Conclusion

To sum up, when evaluating B-schools, the question students should ask is not "What salary will I get?" but "What kind of career trajectory am I getting access to?" The Altera Institute placements report provides full disclosure in its answer to this question. You gain access to high-growth, digital-first roles in companies shaping India's economic future, backed by a curriculum designed by industry practitioners who know and have built these industries.

The variety of jobs, growth trends, IPRS-audited results, and diversity of recruiting companies are all valid indicators of a real product market fit that the institute was able to achieve in a rather short time.

Hence, the Altera Institute is a strong option for students seeking careers in eCommerce, Growth Marketing, Product Management, Brand Management, and Founder’s Office/EIR, Media Management, and similar other roles.

Note: The views expressed in this article are of Altera Institute and do not reflect/represent those of Shiksha.