PM Internship Scheme Pilot Project Extends 71,000 Offers in Second Round

The Prime Minister Internship Scheme’s Pilot Project has received an overwhelming response, with nearly four times more applications than the number of internship opportunities available. As per a parliamentary reply in the Lok Sabha on Monday, approximately 4.55 lakh applications have been received for 1.18 lakh internship opportunities posted by 327 companies under the second round of the pilot project. 

These companies have so far extended over 71,000 internship offers, while the process of acceptance and joining remains ongoing.

Surge in Interest But Limited Uptake in First Round

The scheme, first announced in the 2024–25 Union Budget, aims to provide one crore internships to youth in the top 500 companies over a span of five years. The pilot project, targeting 1.25 lakh internship opportunities in one year, was launched on 3 October 2024. Minister of State for Corporate Affairs, Harsh Malhotra, informed Parliament that, “Currently, rolling out of offers and the process of acceptances and joining by interns is in progress.”

In the first round of the pilot project, fewer than 15 per cent of candidates who were offered internships ended up joining. Of over 82,000 offers made to more than 60,000 candidates, around 28,000 accepted, and ultimately, only 8,700 candidates joined their internships. The second round of the pilot began on 9 January 2025, and as of 15 July 2025, the 327 partner companies had extended over 71,000 offers from the 4.55 lakh applications submitted by 2.14 lakh applicants.

Representation and Company Participation Details

Malhotra noted that 22 per cent of the applications in the second round came from candidates belonging to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, out of whom 16.8 per cent received internship offers. 

According to data from the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA), Assam topped the list of states with 1,408 internship candidates, followed by Uttar Pradesh with 1,067. Among the companies, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC) provided the highest number of internships at 841, followed by Oil India Limited, which offered 492 opportunities.

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Conclusion

Since the scheme’s launch, the government has spent approximately ₹50 crore, with an allocation of ₹10,831.07 crore set aside in the FY26 Union Budget for its continued rollout. With improved diversity focus and high interest from applicants, the PM Internship Scheme aims to become a robust platform for skilling India’s youth across major corporate sectors.

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