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82,000 offers, 8,700 joinees under Round 1 of the PM’s Internship Scheme: Govt
The Prime Minister’s Internship Scheme (PMIS) launched in October 2024 aims to provide 10 million internships over five years, with 125,000 in the first year alone
As many as 621,000 applications were received under Round 1 of the Prime Minister’s Internship Scheme (PMIS) from 181,000 candidates, but only 82,000 offers were made, 28,000 accepted them, and 8,700 joined, the government told Lok Sabha on Monday.
The scheme launched in October 2024 aims to provide 10 million internships over five years, with 125,000 in the first year alone.
In response to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s question, minister of state for corporate affairs Harsh Malhotra told Lok Sabha that PMIS’s Round 2 was launched in January 2025. He added that about 455,000 applications were received and 71,000 offers rolled out under it. Malhotra did not provide further details. A total of 9,453 internships were underway or completed.
The first two rounds are part of the pilot phase of the scheme launched for people aged between 21 and 24, who have completed schooling or hold diplomas and degrees and are not in full-time jobs or education.
₹2,000 crore was allocated for the scheme in the 2024–25 budget. It was cut to ₹380 crore in the revised estimate, and actual expenditure was ₹50 crore. The allocation was raised to over ₹10,800 crore in the 2025–26 budget.
In January, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said it was encouraging to see strong support for the scheme. He called it a big step towards empowering youth and building a future-ready workforce.
Public sector undertakings have absorbed about 58% of the interns so far, 5,525 out of 9,453. Oil and Natural Gas Corporation provided 841 internships, NTPC Ltd 685, and Indian Oil Corporation 344. Private companies accounted for the remaining 3,928 internships. HDFC Bank provided 490 of the 1,581 internships in the banking and finance sector.
The Adani Group offered 66 internships, Reliance 104, Mahindra & Mahindra 96, and TCS 73. As many as 280 companies participated in Round I of the scheme and 327 in Round II.
Interns receive a one-time grant of ₹6,000 and a monthly stipend of ₹5,000. The government pays ₹4,500 and the company ₹500 under CSR fund. The scheme allows companies to increase their contribution, but only 18 companies did so in Round I and 47 in Round II. For most, the stipend remained at the minimum threshold.
Uttar Pradesh (1,067) and Assam (1,408) accounted for over a quarter of the total internships. As many as 209 internships were offered in Tamil Nadu and 467 in West Bengal.
Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe candidates made up 19.97% of applicants and received 21.7% of offers in Round I. The share of such applicants rose to 22%, but their offers fell to 16% in Round II. The scheme mandates “due representation” during shortlisting, but final selection is left to companies.
