Prime Minister's Internship Scheme (PMIS)

What is the Prime Minister's Internship Scheme?

Prime Minister's Internship Scheme (PMIS) is a centrally funded programme of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs that places young people in paid internships at India's top 500 companies, selected on the basis of their average Corporate Social Responsibility expenditure over the previous three years. PMIS was launched as a pilot in October 2024 with 1.25 lakh internship opportunities and is designed to reach one crore youth over five years.

According to the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, PMIS exists to close the gap between formal education and employability by giving candidates 12 months of exposure to a real working environment, rather than classroom training alone. More than 300 companies participated in the pilot rounds.

Key objectives

• Give young people practical, on-site industry experience in a real workplace.
• Improve employability for candidates from families with modest incomes.
• Channel corporate CSR capacity into structured skilling.
• Widen access beyond metros and elite institutions.

Main features

• 12-month internship duration.
• Monthly stipend of Rs 9,000, split Rs 8,100 government (DBT) + Rs 900 company.
• One-time Rs 6,000 joining grant from the government.
• Online-only application through pminternship.mca.gov.in.
• Insurance cover under PMJJBY and PMSBY, premiums paid by the government.

Who is eligible for the PM Internship Scheme?

You can apply if:

• You are an Indian citizen aged 18 to 25 years at the time of application. The Ministry of Corporate Affairs widened this band in 2026 from the earlier 21 to 24 years.
• You have completed at least Class 10, or hold a Higher Secondary certificate, ITI certificate, polytechnic diploma, or an undergraduate degree such as BA, BSc, BCom, BCA, BBA, BPharma or BE/BTech.
• You are a final-year undergraduate or postgraduate student: added to the eligible list in 2026, and can produce a No Objection Certificate from your institution.
• You are not in full-time employment.
• Your family income is within the prescribed ceiling.

You cannot apply if:

• You graduated from an IIT, IIM, IISER, IISc or a National Law University.
• You hold a professional or higher qualification such as MBBS, MBA, CA, CS, CMA, PhD or MPhil.
• You are in full-time employment.
• You are in full-time education, other than the final-year student exception introduced in 2026.
• Any member of your family is a permanent or regular government employee.
• Your family income exceeds the prescribed ceiling.

A note on the income ceiling. The long-standing PMIS criterion is that no member of the candidate's family should have earned more than Rs 8 lakh in the preceding financial year, and reporting on the April 2026 expansion states this figure was left unchanged. Some 2026 institutional circulars, however, cite a ceiling of Rs 12 lakh. Because the two figures cannot be reconciled from published Ministry of Corporate Affairs material, confirm the current ceiling on pminternship.mca.gov.in before you apply rather than relying on either number here.

How much does the PM Internship Scheme pay?

PMIS pays a monthly stipend of Rs 9,000. Of this, Rs 8,100 is paid by the Government of India through Direct Benefit Transfer to the intern's Aadhaar-seeded bank account, and Rs 900 is paid by the host company from its CSR funds. The stipend was raised in 2026 from the earlier Rs 5,000 a month (Rs 4,500 government plus Rs 500 company).

Interns also receive a one-time grant of Rs 6,000 from the government on joining, intended to cover incidental costs such as travel and initial relocation.

Insurance cover is provided under Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana and Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana, with premiums borne by the government. Host companies may add their own accident insurance.

What documents are required for the PM Internship Scheme?

How to apply for the PM Internship Scheme

1. Go to the official portal at pminternship.mca.gov.in, this is the only valid application route, and there is no offline or agent-assisted mode.
2. Click Register as Candidate and create your account.
3. Verify your identity using the OTP sent to your Aadhaar-linked mobile number.
4. Complete your profile with education details, skills, and your preferred sector and location. The portal generates a resume from this profile.
5. Upload your educational certificates, income declaration and, if you are a final-year student, the No Objection Certificate from your institution.
6. Browse the internship opportunities matched to your profile and select your preferences, the portal allows a limited number of choices.
7. Wait for host companies to shortlist and issue offers, then accept an offer within the timeline shown on the portal. Letting the window lapse forfeits the offer.
8. Complete joining formalities with the host company and confirm your bank details so the DBT stipend and the Rs 6,000 joining grant can be credited.

What does a PMIS internship actually involve?

PMIS internships are hosted by companies drawn from India's top 500 by average CSR spend over the previous three years, across more than 20 sectors. The design intent stated by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs is that the internship is a workplace posting, not a training course — a substantial part of the twelve months is meant to be spent in an actual working environment rather than in a classroom.

Candidates express sector and location preferences at profile stage, and the portal matches them against available postings. Host companies then shortlist and issue offers. Because offers carry a time-bound acceptance window, an intern who does not respond in time loses the opportunity and must wait for a subsequent round.

At the end of the twelve months the intern receives a certificate of completion. PMIS carries no employment bond and no obligation on the host company to hire; conversion into a permanent role is entirely at the company's discretion.

Why eligibility was widened in 2026. The Ministry of Corporate Affairs expanded the criteria in April 2026 after acceptance rates in the pilot rounds came in low; roughly 34 per cent in Round II. The changes widened the age band from 21–24 to 18–25, admitted final-year graduate and postgraduate students subject to a No Objection Certificate, and raised the stipend from Rs 5,000 to Rs 9,000 a month.

How to check your PMIS application status

1. Log in at pminternship.mca.gov.in with your registered credentials.
2. Open the candidate dashboard, which shows application, shortlisting and offer status against each preference.
3. Check the registered mobile number and email for offer notifications, since acceptance windows are time-bound.

Common reasons PMIS applications are rejected

• Qualification on the exclusion list, an IIT, IIM, IISER, IISc or NLU degree, or a professional qualification such as CA, CS, CMA, MBA or MBBS.
• Age outside the 18 to 25 band on the date of application.
• Family income above the prescribed ceiling.
• A permanent government employee in the family.
• Missing No Objection Certificate for a final-year student.
• Offer acceptance window missed, which the portal treats as declining.
• Aadhaar and bank account mismatch, which blocks the DBT stipend even after selection.

Help and grievance redressal

• PMIS helpline: 1800-11-6090
• Official portal: pminternship.mca.gov.in
• Ministry of Corporate Affairs for policy-level grievances.

PMIS registration is free. There is no offline application, no authorised consultant and no paid fast-track. Any website, agent or individual asking for money to register you, to guarantee an internship offer, or to release your stipend is running a fraud.