The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) today started campus placements in Bhubaneswar, Chandigarh, Coimbatore and Kanpur for the newly qualified CAs.

According to an ICAI statement, placements would be held in August-September at 16 more centres across the country.

Around 5,000 candidates, who recently cleared their chartered accountancy course, are expected to participate in placement sessions. Releasing the schedule, ICAI said the placement sessions will be held in Ernakulum, Indore and Nagpur on August 13 and 14, and thereafter in Ahmedabad, Jaipur and Pune on August 16 and 17.

In Mumbai and Delhi it shall begin on September 6, while in Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad and Kolkata it will start on September 9, ICAI said in the statement.

"This is an excellent opportunity for topline Indian companies to recruit the finest minds in the accountancy space. We expect strong response from Indian corporate sector despite current spell of slowdown," Member Central Council ICAI Tarun Ghia told reporters here.

Ghia said around 400 candidates are expected to participate in the campus placement programme to be held here.