Chandigarh, May 16 -- Phalguni Gupta, a 25-year-old student of University Business School (UBS), Panjab University, has landed the highest campus placement offer in this year's recruitment drive - Rs.25.11 lakh per annum - from American Express. Phalguni, a born and brought up in Chandigarh, completed school education from Sacred Heart Senior Secondary School and Bhavan Vidyalaya, before a BCom Honours from GGDSD College, Sector 32. While pursuing an MBA from UBS, she had interned with American Express, which helped her secure the placement, said a beaming Phalguni. "The department faculty also supported the students immensely. It was with their support that I bagged the summer internship. I also learnt a lot from my peers," she added. Overall, 85% students of the department clinched placements, with an average CTC of Rs.12.95 lakh per annum (LPA). This is an improvement from last year when the average package was Rs.12.43 LPA. Interestingly, in 2024 as well, the highest package to a student was offered by American Express at Rs.25.11 LPA, similar to this year. More than 55 recruiters, including American Express, Adobe, Deloitte, KPMG and over 25 new companies, participated across sectors such as IT, finance, consulting, e-commerce and FMCG in the recruitment drive. The most sought-after roles included business analytics, business development, sales and marketing, operations, supply chain management, financial analysis, HR analytics, HR business partner and talent acquisition. Top recruiting sectors included IT & software, finance, consulting and e-commerce, among others. Speaking about what worked for UBS in this placement session, chairperson Parmjit Kaur, who is also dean, business management and commerce, said, "Our collaborative approach-engaging faculty, corporate mentors, alumni and training professionals-has played a vital role in shaping globally competent professionals." However, this season's package figures are lower than previous years. In 2022, a student of UBS had bagged a package of Rs.58 LPA from the Tolaram Group. In 2021, the same group had offered a package of Rs.58 LPA. A faculty member explained that the Tolaram Group had not come forward for placements over the past couple of years in the absence of vacant positions. "We will continue to collaborate with various firms to get the best for our students," the teacher added....