New Delhi, Aug. 26 -- Gone are the days of unpaid internships; high-frequency trading (HFT) firms are now throwing absolute record sums to attract worthy interns.

Why the generosity? According to a Bloomberg report, these firms are seeking an edge in a market that is feeling the pinch from tighter derivatives regulations and a glaring shortage of artificial intelligence-linked stocks.

Additionally, the stock market has lost favour with investors and regulatory curbs aimed at protecting retail investors have severely squeezed derivatives volumes.

These highly sought-after interns, according to the report, are quantitative talent-young engineers snapped up straight out of the most prestigious engineering colleges. Their job would be to d...