AI Impact is Real: Half of Computer Engineering Seats in Gujarat Empty as Tech Vacancies Reach Five-Year High

Vacant seats in computer and allied engineering courses across Gujarat reached a five-year high in 2026, with 22,773 out of 45,620 positions—nearly 50%—left completely empty despite an expanded institutional intake across colleges in the state.

Official figures from Gujarat's Admission Committee for Professional Courses (ACPC) reveal that enrolments dropped to 22,847 students this year, down from 24,507 in 2025 and a peak of 27,302 in 2024. The sharp slump in student uptake marks a secondary straight year of declining admissions, even as seat capacities expanded steadily from 26,630 in 2021 to current levels.

Educationists and industry insiders attribute the growing void to artificial intelligence automation, sluggish IT campus recruitment drives, and structural changes across global tech hiring markets.

AI Disruption and Extended Placement Cycles Drive Student Shift

The demand for computer engineering had begun to soften after dominating student preferences for nearly a decade. Computer engineering has retained the top position for 10 years, but demand is now going down. Increase in number of seats over the years with AI disruption and prolonged placement cycles—which previously wrapped up by August but now stretch well into October—have cooled candidate interest significantly.

Recruiters who previously selected eight to ten graduates per campus visit are now picking up just one or two. Former president of the GESIA IT Association Nirav Shah noted that while domestic markets remain stable, international outsourcing contracts have dipped.

Tech companies are increasingly restructuring entry-level workforce operations in response to generative and agentic AI models capable of handling routine coding tasks previously assigned to junior engineers.

Traditional Engineering Disciplines Show Steady Recovery

Despite the steep drop in computer science admissions, it remains the single largest engineering discipline by total headcount in Gujarat. However, candidates are increasingly reconsidering traditional engineering branches, which are reporting a steady recovery in enrolments.

Mechanical engineering admissions rose to 3,503 in 2025 from 3,036 in 2024, while civil engineering enrolments grew to 2,939 from 2,654. Electrical engineering increased to 2,164, chemical engineering rose to 1,811, and biotechnology saw a sharp jump to 676 enrolments. Specialized branches like textile, dairy, and agricultural engineering also logged stable numbers.