CA and CS demand rises in campus hiring while firms turn cautious on engineering and MBA
Aon's Campus Study Report 2026-27 finds 56% of firms plan to hire more chartered accountants and company secretaries, while engineering and MBA hiring weakens.
Demand for chartered accountants (CAs) and company secretaries (CSs) is rising rapidly in India's campus job market, according to Aon's Campus Study Report 2026-27. Companies now appear to favour CA and CS candidates over those from professional courses such as engineering and MBA.
The report says 56 per cent of companies plan to increase hiring of CA and CS professionals. Hiring will remain unchanged at 33 per cent of organisations, while only 11 per cent have decided to reduce it. The Net Hiring Intent for CAs and CSs has been recorded at +45 per cent, the highest among the categories.
Companies' stance on engineering and MBA candidates, by contrast, has been mixed and subdued. Net Hiring Intent for engineering has fallen to -4 points and for MBA to -10 points. While 36 per cent of companies want to increase engineering hiring, 40 per cent are considering reducing it. For MBAs, 34 per cent of companies favour increasing hiring, while 44 per cent are thinking of cutting it.
Demand for CAs and CSs is not limited to full-time jobs. Some 91 per cent of organisations take on CA and CS interns, and about 82 per cent of companies offer them a direct pre-placement interview or offer (PPO). Companies are thus looking at these candidates even at the internship stage.
Even as demand for CAs and CSs grows in companies, the number of candidates sitting the CA final examination has fallen in recent years. There were 1,32,007 registrations in May 2017, which dropped to 99,466 in May 2025. The September 2025 examination recorded 81,852, about 38 per cent lower than in 2017.
Although total registrations have declined somewhat, women's participation in the CA final examinations has risen markedly. Women accounted for 35 per cent in May 2015, and their share has climbed to nearly 41 per cent in May and September 2025.
Overall, the report shows companies leaning towards CA and CS candidates, while remaining cautious about hiring engineers and MBAs. Demand for CAs and CSs is growing, but CA final registrations are lower than in 2017.
