How Many Offers Have Big Firms Made to Youth Under PM Internship Scheme?

New Delhi, July 21 (NationPress) Over 1.53 lakh offers have been extended to the youth by leading companies across the nation during the initial two phases of the Prime Minister Internship Scheme (PMIS), which was initiated in October 2024, as reported by the Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs, Nirmala Sitharaman, in Lok Sabha on Monday.

In her written response, the minister highlighted that in the first round of the PM Internship Scheme Pilot Project, partner companies advertised over 1.27 lakh internship positions on the PMIS Portal nationwide.

In total, more than 6.21 lakh applications were submitted by approximately 1.81 lakh candidates. Companies provided over 82,000 internship offers to more than 60,000 candidates, with over 28,000 candidates accepting these offers, and more than 8,700 candidates commencing their internships.

Moving to the second round of the PM Internship Scheme Pilot Project, which began on January 9, 2025, approximately 327 partner companies listed over 1.18 lakh internship opportunities (including new and previously unfilled positions) across 735 districts in the country.

During this round, over 4.55 lakh applications were received from more than 2.14 lakh applicants. As of July 17, 2025, partner companies had extended over 71,000 offers to young individuals, with over 22,500 of these offers accepted.

“Currently, the process of rolling out offers and the acceptance/joining by interns is ongoing,” added Sitharaman.

The PM Internship Scheme was unveiled during the Union Budget 2024-25. Its goal is to provide internships to one crore youth in the top 500 companies over a span of five years.

To kick off this initiative, the Ministry of Corporate Affairs launched a Pilot Project on October 3, 2024, aimed at offering 1.25 lakh internship opportunities to youth within one year.

Eligible candidates include youth aged 21-24 who have completed High School, Higher Secondary School, hold an ITI certificate, possess a diploma from a Polytechnic Institute, or are graduates with degrees such as BA, B.Sc, B.Com, BCA, BBA, B. Pharma, etc. They must not be in full-time employment or education to qualify.

The Ministry of Corporate Affairs is proactively collaborating with various stakeholders, including state governments, industry associations, and educational institutions, to promote and implement the scheme, according to Sitharaman.

The ministry is also conducting information, education, and communication initiatives to effectively engage target groups across the country, she added.