DPIIT Internship Scheme

What is the DPIIT Internship Scheme?

The DPIIT Internship Scheme is a short-term internship programme of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. The scheme gives students and research scholars first-hand exposure to how industrial and investment policy is made in India, by placing them with DPIIT divisions in New Delhi for a period of one to three months.

According to DPIIT, the internship is meant to let students understand the functioning of the department and contribute to its work on areas such as industrial policy, Startup India, foreign direct investment (FDI), e-commerce regulation and data analysis. Interns take up research assignments under the guidance of DPIIT officers and submit a report at the end.

Key features

• Stipend of Rs 10,000, paid after submission of the final report.
• Duration of one, two or three months, chosen by the applicant.
• Open throughout the year; there is no single application window.
• Based at the DPIIT office in New Delhi, on-site.
• An experience/completion certificate is issued to interns who complete the full duration.

Who is eligible for the DPIIT internship?

You can apply if:

• You are an undergraduate student, postgraduate student or research scholar.
• You are enrolled in a recognised institution, in India or abroad.
• You have an interest in the policy areas DPIIT works on, such as industrial policy, startups, FDI and e-commerce.

You cannot apply / are not eligible if:

• You are not currently a student or research scholar at a recognised institution — the scheme is for those in study, not general job-seekers.
• You are unable to be present in New Delhi for the internship, as it is an on-site placement.
• You do not complete the full selected duration, in which case the stipend and certificate are not given.

Selection is at the discretion of DPIIT based on the applicant's profile, academic background and the department's requirement at the time.

How much does the DPIIT internship provide?

The scheme pays a stipend of Rs 10,000, released after the intern submits the final research report at the end of the internship and completes the full selected duration. Interns also receive an experience certificate, which is valuable for students entering policy, economics, law or public administration.

The bigger benefit for many interns is the exposure: working alongside DPIIT officers on live policy issues gives a view of government functioning that is hard to get elsewhere. DPIIT is the nodal department for industrial policy, Startup India, foreign direct investment policy, intellectual property rights, e-commerce and the ease of doing business agenda, so an intern may be assigned to research, data analysis or drafting work touching any of these areas. For a student of economics, commerce, law or public policy, a completion certificate from a central government department carries real weight when applying for higher study or a first job.

What documents are required?

How to apply for the DPIIT internship

1. Prepare a resume/CV that clearly states your area of interest and your preferred internship duration (one, two or three months).
2. Send your application by email to the DPIIT administration (admin1-oea@gov.in), attaching your resume and proof of enrolment.
3. Wait for shortlisting: DPIIT reviews applications against its current requirement and calls suitable candidates.
4. On selection, join the DPIIT office in New Delhi and take up the assigned research work under an officer's guidance.
5. Complete the full duration and submit the final report, after which the Rs 10,000 stipend and the experience certificate are issued.

Because the scheme runs throughout the year, you can apply at any time, but it is sensible to apply a few weeks ahead of when you want to start. Always confirm the current application email and any revised process on the official DPIIT website, as administrative contact details can change.

Help and where to check

• DPIIT official website (dpiit.gov.in) for the current internship notice and application details
• DPIIT Administration division, which handles internship applications and placements

There is no fee to apply for the DPIIT internship. Applications are made directly to the department, and no agent is involved in selection.

How to check your application status

There is no online tracking portal or reference-number system for the DPIIT internship, since applications are submitted by email rather than through a portal. Here is how to follow up in practice.

1. Check your email for an acknowledgement. DPIIT's administration division does not always send an automatic receipt, so absence of a reply within a week or two is not itself a rejection.
2. Send a polite follow-up email to admin1-oea@gov.in after two to three weeks if you have heard nothing, referencing your original application date and attached resume so the office can locate it quickly.
3. Watch for a call or email invitation rather than a formal "selected" letter; shortlisting for this scheme is usually communicated by asking the applicant to confirm a joining date, not by a separate status update.
4. Treat a long silence as a soft no. Because the scheme has no fixed cycle and no published turnaround time, DPIIT does not formally reject applicants in writing; if there is no response after four to six weeks and no follow-up reply, it is reasonable to assume the application was not taken forward for the current requirement and to consider reapplying later with an updated resume.
5. Reapply if your circumstances change, for example if your preferred duration or availability shifts, since a fresh email restarts consideration and there is no penalty for applying more than once.

Because the process runs on direct correspondence rather than a case-tracking system, keeping a copy of your sent email (with date, attachments and the interest area you specified) is the only practical record you will have if you need to follow up later.

Common reasons for rejection

• Resume does not state an area of interest or preferred duration. DPIIT works across industrial policy, Startup India, FDI, IPR, e-commerce and ease-of-doing-business, so a generic resume with no indication of what you want to work on or how long you are available for is difficult for the administration division to place. Fix: name a specific interest area from DPIIT's actual mandate and state clearly whether you want one, two or three months.
• No proof of current enrolment attached. Since the scheme is restricted to students and research scholars currently enrolled at a recognised institution, an application without a bonafide certificate or enrolment proof cannot be verified. Fix: attach a current bonafide certificate or admission letter, not just a degree certificate from a completed course.
• Applicant has already graduated or is between courses. The internship is not open to job-seekers or recent graduates who are no longer enrolled anywhere. Fix: apply only while actively enrolled in a UG, PG or research programme; if you have graduated, look at DPIIT's other engagement routes instead.
• Unable to be present in New Delhi for the full duration. Because the internship is on-site at the DPIIT office, an applicant who cannot relocate or commute for the chosen period is not a workable fit, even if otherwise qualified. Fix: only apply for a duration and start date you can genuinely be present in Delhi for, and mention any constraints upfront rather than after selection.
• Application arrives when DPIIT has no current requirement. Since there is no fixed intake cycle, timing mismatches happen: the department may simply not need interns in your area of interest when you write in. Fix: this is not a fault in the application itself, so it is worth reapplying after a few months with the same or an updated resume rather than treating one non-response as final.
• Incomplete final report or early withdrawal. For those who are selected, the stipend and certificate are withheld if the intern does not complete the full selected duration or does not submit the final research report. Fix: commit to the full duration before accepting a placement, and treat the final report as a mandatory deliverable, not an optional formality.