3 months ago
1
Abhinav Vikas, a B.Com postgraduate from a reputed Tier-1 assemblage successful Pune, completed his grade with 2 internships astatine reputed firms. “I interned astatine Urban Company and Grant Thornton successful Business Operations and Audit during assemblage portion besides appearing for ACCA exams. But aft graduation, I remained unemployed for a year. Recently, I accepted an internship successful Financial Accounting with a multinational slope and anticipation to wide my remaining ACCA papers this year,” helium says.
Contrast this with the acquisition of Prakhar Goyal, a final-year B.Com pupil from a Tier-3 assemblage successful Rajasthan. “There are nary placements oregon internships offered by the college. As my grade nears completion, the lone connection I’ve received is ₹10,000 per period from a CA steadfast for indebtedness verification. Most opportunities present are similar,” helium says.
Goyal present hopes to fortify his illustration done internships and certification courses successful finance.
Their experiences bespeak a broader inclination successful the commerce occupation market, highlighted by caller information published by Zeynep Dierks, a writer and researcher astatine Statista. According to the report, employability among Bachelor of Commerce graduates successful India stood astatine 55% successful 2025, a important driblet from 62% successful 2023.
“Within the commerce stream, obtaining a B.Com grade is often the minimum request for getting a job. The economical slowdown successful India has been a large origin successful reduced hiring among companies,” the study noted.
Data from the All India Survey connected Higher Education (2021–22) shows that B.Com remains the 3rd astir preferred undergraduate programme, with 43.4 lakh students enrolled nationwide, accounting for 13.1% of each undergraduate enrolments.
Revamp of the syllabus
The challenges faced by graduates person besides prompted discussions astir whether the B.Com program adequately reflects manufacture needs.
“In college, astir classes were theoretical and relied heavy connected rote learning. We often solved hypothetical accounting problems that felt acold removed from real-world practice,” says Rahul Vangara, who completed B.Com (Hons) from Osmania University successful 2024.
However, academicians reason that the program has evolved with changing manufacture demands. “In caller years, B.Com program has been progressively updated to bespeak emerging manufacture requirements. Courses related to Digital Finance, FinTech, GST practices, and accounting bundle are being incorporated either arsenic halfway subjects, electives, oregon skill-based modules. Additionally, we promote experiential learning done lawsuit studies and applicable vulnerability to accounting and fiscal tools,” says Professor K. Nirmala, Dean and Chairperson of the Department of Commerce astatine Bangalore University.
Academics vs. manufacture expectations
A probe insubstantial published successful 2025, titled “The Employability Crisis Among Commerce Graduates: Analysing the Impact of Limited Practical Knowledge and Market Saturation” highlights a increasing mismatch betwixt world grooming and manufacture needs. The contented is peculiarly disposable successful states similar Karnataka, wherever accelerated economical improvement has not been matched by corresponding shifts successful commerce education.
The survey attributes the occupation mostly to the spread betwixt theoretical acquisition and applicable manufacture requirements. Explaining manufacture expectations, Professor K. Nirmala, says, “The large spread often lies successful applicable vulnerability and applied skills. While students summation beardown conceptual cognition during their degree, employers expect proficiency successful analytical tools, integer accounting systems, connection skills, and problem-solving abilities. Bridging this spread requires stronger collaboration betwixt academia and manufacture done internships, workshops, and certification programs.”
She adds that universities progressively promote students to prosecute certifications successful areas specified arsenic fiscal analytics, taxation software, integer accounting tools and fiscal modelling. “These certifications complement schoolroom learning and heighten students’ employability,” she says.
Regional disparities
The occupation becomes adjacent much pronounced for students studying successful smaller cities and towns.
Vishesh Kumar Pandey, a B.Com student, says helium has been searching for internships for astir a year. “My assemblage is not located successful a large city. I’ve looked for opportunities connected platforms similar Internshala and LinkedIn, but astir internships successful accounting and concern are concentrated successful cities similar Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad. Relocating portion studying isn’t imaginable for me,” helium says.
He adds that galore distant internships look unreliable. “Some deficiency due websites oregon institution information, and a fewer adjacent inquire students to wage ample amounts for the internship,” helium says.
Professor Vijay Kumar Shrotryia, Head of the Department of Commerce astatine the University of Delhi, acknowledges the spread betwixt metropolitan institutions and those successful Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities. “There is simply a stark quality successful presumption of disposable infrastructure and module members. More teachers are required to rotation retired assorted electives and skill-based programmes. It tin beryllium hard for smaller colleges to connection much options of specified programmes astatine scale,” helium says.
As a remedial measure, Professor Nirmala explains that Bangalore University supports affiliated colleges done standardised program frameworks, module improvement programmes and grooming workshops. “Efforts are besides being made to fortify manufacture interaction, vocation guidance initiatives, and accomplishment improvement programmes,” she says.
Placement trends
As students attack graduation, galore are progressively looking beyond accepted field placements. “I’m successful my 3rd twelvemonth and anticipation to unafraid a occupation aft graduation. I program to prosecute CFA Level 1 on with certifications specified arsenic concern analytics and internships to amended my chances of landing a occupation with a ₹10-lakh package,” says Vihaan Tripathi, a pupil astatine the University of Lucknow.
“Economic fluctuations person influenced hiring patterns successful caller years, with recruiters becoming much selective and emphasizing applicable skills and integer competence. Employers present look for graduates who person not lone world cognition but besides technological proficiency, adaptability, and problem-solving capabilities,” says Professor Nirmala.
Changing preferences among students
As the occupation marketplace evolves, pupil preferences are besides opening to shift. “While B.Com continues to beryllium a foundational prime for galore commerce students, we are witnessing a gradual displacement toward specialised certifications and nonrecreational courses successful areas specified arsenic information analytics, fiscal technology, and nonrecreational accounting qualifications,” says Professor Nirmala.
Delhi University: The outlier
However, immoderate institutions look to beryllium bucking the trend. “The B.Com undergraduate grade remains 1 of the astir sought-after courses astatine University of Delhi,” says Vijay Kumar Shrotryia, Senior Professor and Head of the Department of Commerce.
He attributes the sustained occurrence of the grade to the regular revision and updating of the syllabus successful alignment with the National Education Policy 2020 and changing manufacture needs. “Currently, we are moving to incorporated amendments to Income Tax laws into the undergraduate syllabus, which volition beryllium disposable starting adjacent world year,” helium says. He adds that the assemblage offers assorted courses, including skill-enhancement courses, generic electives, and specialised papers aimed astatine strengthening students’ competencies and accomplishment sets.
While the Statista study suggests that the economical slowdown successful India has reduced hiring, Prof. Shrotryia notes that Delhi University has remained comparatively resilient. “Compared to others, we were not severely hit. There mightiness beryllium a flimsy saltation successful the fig of companies visiting colleges affiliated with Delhi University, but determination hasn’t been a steep fall; rather, the quality of jobs has changed. For example, astir 10 years ago, determination was nary GST. Now, we spot a surge successful request for roles related to taxation compliance astatine antithetic levels of operations, ” helium explains.
He continues, “Most students who are not funny successful pursuing higher studies get placed. Various companies, including the ‘Big Four,’ sojourn our campuses for placements. They usually prosecute for roles specified arsenic Accounts, Audit, oregon Tax Associates. Apart from that, students look for authorities examinations oregon participate the banking and security sectors, wherever they are highly sought after. The vulnerability our students person helps them unafraid jobs that lucifer their abilities.”
On the interaction of artificial quality connected entry-level jobs, helium remains optimistic. “It volition not negatively interaction jobs for commerce graduates. AI is mostly handling repetitive tasks successful the occupation market. We thatch students assorted accounting bundle and are integrating AI into the syllabus truthful that students tin accommodate to emerging occupation demands,” helium says.
Regarding the mismatch betwixt world learning and manufacture expectations, helium says, “We experienced that earlier erstwhile the syllabus was much theoretical. But since the implementation of NEP, things person drastically changed. We introduced courses to heighten students’ skills—such arsenic Financial Literacy, Digital Marketing, Business Analytics, and Business Communication—as portion of the curriculum. In fact, we person a dedicated insubstantial connected GST.”
“It remains a promising and applicable people for commerce students. If students are looking for employment instantly aft graduation, B.Com is an fantabulous choice. Furthermore, B.Com (Hons) is an particularly beardown enactment arsenic it is simply a well-designed and holistic course,” helium assures.
(Sign up for THEdge, The Hindu’s play education newsletter.)
