Patna: The first batch of undergraduate and postgraduate students trained under the hybrid academic programme at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Patna has set a new benchmark in the 2026 placement season.The full-time hybrid programme was introduced in line with the provisions of the National Education Policy (NEP), 2020.Out of 887 eligible undergraduate and 672 postgraduate students, 780 participated in the placement drive. Of them, 240 secured placements, while 460 received internship offers.A major highlight of the season was the highest package of Rs 56 lakh per annum secured by a student from the hybrid programme, marking a significant achievement for the institute.Another notable success was the selection of more than 200 students for internships with global technology companies Oracle and IBM.Students also secured positions in leading multinational corporations, technology firms and govt organisations, including the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Embrizon Technologies, GUVI-HCL, State Bank of India (SBI), Infocera, Teleperformance and TaxTron Technologies.The selected candidates have been offered roles such as software development engineer, full-stack developer, data scientist, AI/ML engineer, cyber security specialist and research intern.Congratulating the students, IIT-Patna director T N Singh said the achievement reflected the students’ dedication, faculty support and the institute’s industry-oriented curriculum.“It reflects students’ hard work, expert guidance by the faculty, and the institute’s industry-aligned curriculum,” Singh said.The institute said the performance of the first hybrid programme batch highlights the growing acceptance of the academic model and its ability to equip students with industry-relevant skills and employment opportunities.--