For a young person in India, the hardest part of getting a first job is a cruel loop: employers want experience, but you cannot get experience without a job. The PM Internship Scheme is the government's attempt to break that loop — by paying you to gain a year of real experience at one of the country's largest companies.

If you are between 21 and 24, not in full-time work or study, and your family income is under ₹8 lakh a year, this scheme can put ₹5,000 a month plus a one-time ₹6,000 grant in your bank account while you learn a real trade inside a real company. This guide explains exactly how it works and how to claim your place.

What You Actually Get

The scheme offers a 12-month internship at one of over 500 of India's top companies, across 24 sectors — from banking and IT to automobiles, oil and gas, travel, retail, and manufacturing. During those twelve months:

  • You receive ₹5,000 every month as a stipend. Of this, ₹4,500 comes from the government (via Direct Benefit Transfer straight to your bank account) and ₹500 from the company.
  • You get a one-time grant of ₹6,000 to cover incidental costs, paid in two parts — ₹3,000 soon after you join, and ₹3,000 after you complete three months.
  • You gain a real work record at a recognised company — the experience and reference that makes your next job far easier to get.
₹5,000
Monthly stipend, paid directly to your bank account
Source: Ministry of Corporate Affairs, 2025
₹6,000
One-time grant on top of the monthly stipend
Source: PM Internship Scheme guidelines
500+
Top companies offering internships across 24 sectors
Source: PM Internship Scheme, 2025
21–24
Age range eligible to apply
Source: Ministry of Corporate Affairs

Are You Eligible?

The scheme is aimed at young people who need the opportunity most. You qualify if:

  • You are an Indian citizen aged 21 to 24 at the time of applying.
  • You are not in full-time employment and not in full-time education (people in distance/online learning can apply).
  • Your family's annual income is under ₹8 lakh (for FY 2023-24).
  • No member of your family is a permanent government employee, and no one in the family is an income-tax payer.
  • You have at least passed Class 10 — the scheme welcomes those with SSC, HSC, ITI certificates, diplomas, or graduate degrees (BA, B.Com, B.Sc, BBA, etc.).

Graduates from the top professional degrees (like IIT/IIM/CA/MBBS) and those already in higher-end programmes are generally not the target group — this scheme is built for ordinary graduates and diploma-holders who need a first break.

The exact steps to apply
Register free on the official PM Internship portal
Go to the official government portal — pminternship.mca.gov.in (run by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs). Registration is completely free — never pay any agent or website. Create your profile with your Aadhaar, mobile number, and educational details; the portal auto-generates a simple resume from what you enter. Then browse internships filtered by your location, sector, and qualification, and apply to up to five choices. Companies shortlist and offer places; you accept one. Keep your bank account linked to Aadhaar and active for DBT so the stipend reaches you without delay. Watch the portal for each new application round and apply the moment it opens — places fill fast.

Why It Is Worth Doing

₹5,000 a month is not a salary you can live a whole life on — and it is not meant to be. The real value is the twelve months of experience and the company on your CV. A candidate who has interned at a large, recognised firm is treated completely differently by the next employer than one with only a degree and no work history. Many interns are also considered first when the host company has regular openings.

Think of it as a paid apprenticeship: the stipend covers your travel and phone while you build the one thing money cannot instantly buy — a track record.

If you are 21–24 and job-hunting

Spend thirty minutes today creating a free profile at pminternship.mca.gov.in. Keep your Aadhaar-linked bank account active, your Class 10 (and any higher) certificates handy, and apply to internships that match your city and interests as soon as a round opens. A year of real experience at a top company — with ₹5,000 a month while you learn — is one of the strongest starts an ordinary graduate or diploma-holder can get in India today. Don't let the round pass because you "didn't get around to it."

What You Can Do

  • Register free at the official portal pminternship.mca.gov.in — never pay an agent; there is no fee.
  • Check eligibility: age 21–24, family income under ₹8 lakh, not in full-time work/study, no government employee or taxpayer in the family.
  • Keep your bank account Aadhaar-linked and active so the ₹5,000 stipend and ₹6,000 grant reach you via DBT.
  • Apply to multiple internships matching your location, sector, and qualification the moment a round opens.
  • Treat it as experience, not just income — do the work seriously and ask for a reference at the end.
  • Beware of fraud: the government never charges a fee and never asks for money to "confirm" an internship. Ignore any such call or message.

A first job is the hardest one to get. This scheme is a rare, genuine ladder — paid, structured, and open to exactly the young Indians who usually get left out. If you qualify, use it.

Sources