PM Internship Scheme: Over 100K internships on offer in Phase-II

Currently, the top 500 companies with the highest average corporate social responsibility (CSR) expenditure over the last three years are part of the scheme

The Prime Minister Internship Scheme (PMIS), currently in its second pilot phase, is holding interactive sessions with youth aged 21-24 in Maharashtra, Jharkhand, and Bihar to widen the reach of the programme.

 

Over 115,000 internship opportunities are being offered in companies like Reliance, HDFC Bank, Indian Oil, and Maruti Suzuki for applicants across 25 sectors from more than 740 districts, according to the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA). Currently, the top 500 companies with the highest average corporate social responsibility expenditure over the past three years are part of the scheme.

 

The pilot project of the scheme had received an approval for an amount of Rs 840 crore. Of this, approximately Rs 48 crore has been spent so far, a reply to the Lok Sabha question stated. The scheme has received an allocation of Rs 10,831 crore in the Union Budget for financial year 2025-26 (FY26).

 

The state-wise distribution of internship posts shows maximum opportunities (of phase-1) have been created in Tamil Nadu (14,585) followed by Maharashtra (13,664), Gujarat (11,690), Karnataka (10,022), and Uttar Pradesh (9,027), according to a Lok Sabha statement.

 

In phase-2, each applicant can apply for up to three internships until the application deadline.

 

“More than 300 top companies across sectors like oil, gas & energy; banking and financial services, travel & hospitality, automotive, metals & mining manufacturing & industrial, fast-moving consumer goods and many more have offered internship opportunities to Indian youth to gain real-world experience, network with professionals and enhance their employability,” the MCA said in a press statement.

 

During the pilot’s first phase, over 200 of these companies posted 127,000 internship opportunities, attracting 180,000 applications. Ultimately, 82,077 offers were extended to 60,866 candidates, but only 28,141 were accepted, according to a statement to the Lok Sabha.

 

The MCA will seek cabinet’s approval for the full-fledged rollout of the scheme after incorporating feedback from the pilot phase.

 

The government aims to train 10 million youth in top companies over five years through PMIS.

 

In the present system, candidates are able to browse internships based on their preferred sectors, roles and locations, and can apply for up to five opportunities. The name of the companies or the additional facilities they may offer to the interns – such as transportation and health benefits – are not made known at the time of submitting the applications. This is set to change in the second phase, officials said.

 

Under the scheme, the MCA provides a direct benefit transfer of Rs 6,000 upon joining, along with coverage under the PM Jeevan Jyoti Bima and PM Suraksha Yojana. Additionally, interns receive Rs 5,000 per month — Rs 4,500 from the government and Rs 500 from the company’s CSR funds. Companies are allowed to provide further assistance from their own resources.

 

Eligibility criteria exclude certain professionals, like chartered accountants, certified management accountants, and graduates from IITs or IIMs. Applicants whose family income exceeds Rs 8 lakh for FY 2023-24 or who have a government-employed family member are ineligible as well.