PM Internship Scheme: 30,000 Youth Beneficiaries Against 30 Lakh Target in Two Years

Prime Minister Narendra Modi officially launched the scheme on October 3, 2024, with the government promising to provide internships to one crore young people over five years. Two years later, figures related to the programme indicate a gap between its intended scale and the number of beneficiaries, even as the government has revised its framework to attract more applicants.

According to The Indian Express, the scheme has undergone several significant changes over the past two years. The monthly stipend has been increased to almost double its original amount, the internship duration has been shortened, and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) have been included. The government has also relaxed eligibility rules. These changes have contributed to a rise in interest during the scheme’s third phase.

However, figures from the Ministry of Corporate Affairs and the experiences of participating young people suggest that expanding participation has not necessarily resolved concerns about the quality of on-the-job training.

The experiences of interns illustrate the contrasting outcomes of the programme. Padma, a 23-year-old from Vijayawada, had completed an engineering degree but was unable to secure a job. She began an internship at a major IT company under PMIS in January 2025. After six months of training and six months of work experience, she secured a full-time position at the same company in March 2026.

Sunil, a 22-year-old from Ranchi with a technical diploma in computer hardware, had a different experience. He secured an internship at a microfinance company, hoping to develop his computer skills. Instead, he was assigned the role of a loan recovery agent in villages. Frustrated by the lack of relevant training, he left the internship midway and remains unemployed.

M ohit, from Lucknow, also left his internship early. He had joined a government-owned oil refinery company during the scheme’s first round two years ago. Rather than receiving training in office work, he was assigned to visit petrol pumps and persuade customers to make payments through an app. He quit the internship after just one month.

In response to the challenges, the government revised the scheme’s framework, with the changes taking effect in the round that began in April. Under the revised structure, the monthly stipend was increased from Rs 5,000 to Rs 9,000, while the internship duration was reduced from 12 months to between six and nine months.

The eligibility criteria were also relaxed. The eligible age range was changed from 21–24 years to 18–25 years. Master’s degree holders and final-year college students were also made eligible to apply. In addition to the country’s top 500 companies, the scheme was expanded to include MSMEs and emerging sunrise sectors.

Despite these changes, retaining interns remains a significant challenge. The participation rate among young people rose to 9.5 per cent in the scheme’s third phase, compared with 6.9 per cent in the first round and 6.1 per cent in the second.

However, the rate of internship completion declined. According to the figures cited in the report, 42.6 per cent of interns completed their internships during the first phase. That figure fell to 39.4 per cent in the second phase, highlighting the continuing difficulty of ensuring that participants remain in the programme.

Young people who left their internships midway told the publication that they were often assigned fieldwork or tasks that offered little opportunity to learn relevant skills, rather than receiving training aligned with their chosen fields. In contrast, interns placed in the IT and manufacturing sectors reported more positive experiences, with several securing permanent jobs through the programme.

The scheme’s two-year record therefore presents a mixed picture: participation has increased following changes to financial incentives and eligibility, but the gap between the government’s targets and actual beneficiaries remains substantial. The experiences of interns also highlight the importance of relevant workplace training and meaningful professional exposure if the programme is to deliver on its promise of expanding employment opportunities for young people.