Electronics Specialisations and current Masters Options, Advice needed.

My Qualifications: BTech ECE'26 T3 College

GATE Subject: DA ;Score: between 660-700; Rank: 4xx

I am an ECE grad and prepared for GATE DA in my final year. However, I don't feel too interested in AI or Software Engineering now (after internships and spending a considerable time of my bachelors chasing software jobs). Lately, I have been feeling more into hardware/ECE subjects after studying them out of interest after the end of my degree (May sound funny I guess). So, my application strategy in COAP targetted EE/Adjacent programs in IITs which permitted DA score, and so far I am getting:-

MTech JTM, IIT Delhi (Telecom, Comms adjacent I guess? But seniors say that most people end up in software jobs)

MS(R) in Robotics (Interdisciplinary) in IIT Madras.

Both of these programs seem quite uncertain, employability wise and I am feeling lost with regards to so many ECE/EE Specialisations.

My options as of now are:-

Drop Year and preparing for GATE EC'27, which I guess opens many programs that were closed off to me this year due to my specialisation being GATE DA.

Picking either of the 2 programs I have and actively trying to pivot towards hardware adjacent roles (for JTM, I guess Communications? And for Robotics, I guess control?)

I also researched MTech EC masters programs and there seems to be a very clear preference for VLSI/Microelectronics among applicants because of more job opportunities I guess? Are there opportunities in the other EE Specialisations as well, apart from VLSI, like in communications or control? I am not decided on any one clear preference as of now, and that will be a matter of choosing if I so decide to drop a year.

Would love inputs from seniors, people in industry and peers who are taking admission this year.

Thank you