Jubilant FoodWorks, Maruti Suzuki, ONGC lead as PM’s internship scheme creates over 1.27 lakh openings for young talent

Over 8,700 candidates from 686 districts have joined various companies across India in the first round of the 12-month Prime Minister’s Internship Scheme (PMIS), which was launched in October 2024, the Ministry of Corporate Affairs has said. Of the 280 companies that have partnered with the government under PMIS, Jubilant FoodWorks Ltd, with 14,263 internship offers, ranked first in terms of opportunities created during the first round. Other leading partner companies in Round 1 include Maruti Suzuki (12,444 offers), ONGC (6,020), Reliance Industries (5,000), and Eicher Motors (4,260).

These candidates, who are currently undergoing internships, are among the 28,000-plus who accepted offers under this scheme by mid-February, a committee of Parliamentarians was informed. Interns began joining the scheme in December 2024.

During the first round, more than 1.27 lakh internship opportunities were provided by partner companies in 745 districts across the country. In response, approximately 6.21 lakh applications were received from over 1.8 lakh candidates, according to the 10th Report of the Standing Committee on Finance, presented to the Lok Sabha on March 19. The report states that in the first round, partner companies made over 82,000 internship offers to more than 60,000 candidates.

The second round of PMIS commenced on January 9, 2025. By February 14, about 1.15 lakh new and revised internship opportunities had been posted by companies, the ministry informed the Parliamentary Committee.

Candidates undergoing internships under PMIS will receive financial assistance of ₹5,000 per month, of which ₹4,500 will be disbursed by the government, while ₹500 per month will be paid by the company from its CSR funds. Additionally, a one-time grant of ₹6,000 for incidentals will be provided by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs to each intern upon joining their internship. Insurance coverage under the Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana and Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana will also be provided by the Government of India.

The Union Budget 2025-26 has earmarked ₹10,831.07 crore for PMIS, with a target of supporting 15 lakh internship opportunities for youth during the year.