The PM internship scheme has gained traction with Corporate India with as many as 81% of companies supporting the scheme to be extended to all corporates, said the latest survey from TeamLease EdTech. This is significantly higher from the current structure of the scheme where top 500 companies have been asked to participate in the scheme. The survey further said that a majority of the respondents (73%) believe that short-to-medium-term internship opportunities – 1 to 6 months – can be optimal for the efficiency of the programme.
The report highlights that over 76% of companies are prioritising tech roles within their internship programmes, showcasing the industry’s focus on digitally skilled talent to meet evolving demands. Additionally, 73% of companies intend to absorb at least 10% of their interns as full-time employees upon the completion of the internship programmes. This demonstrates the strategic role internships play in addressing talent supply-chain challenges while contributing to workforce readiness.
“The PM internship scheme showcases the impact of public-private partnerships in addressing workforce challenges. With a majority of companies focusing on tech roles and committing to meaningful absorption rates, we are witnessing a strategic transformation that goes beyond traditional corporate social responsibility (CSR). This initiative is effectively creating a sustainable talent pipeline while addressing India’s critical employability challenges,” said Shantanu Rooj, founder and CEO of TeamLease EdTech.
The scheme also underscores a financial commitment from India Inc. with 34.43% of companies planning to allocate up to 20% of their CSR budgets to internship programmes. “This reallocation reflects a growing acknowledgment of internships as a powerful tool for societal impact and skill development,” the survey said. To maximise the impact of the scheme, 32.43% of companies have expressed a strong preference for partnerships with both universities and other corporates thereby emphasising the role of collaboration in bridging the gap between academia and industry, as per the survey.
Announced in the last union budget for FY25, the PM internship scheme was kicked off in December last year with interns from 656 districts embarked on their internship journeys with top companies such as Vedanta, Maruti Suzuki, ONGC, IOCL, Bajaj Finance, Titan, NMDC, NTPC and others.
The pilot phase of the scheme intends to provide 1.25 lakh internships across 24 sectors such as oil & gas, energy, travel, automotive, banking and financial services, etc. On the last day of the registration, the scheme received over 6.5 lakh applications for 1.27 lakh opportunities offered by 280 companies participating in the scheme. The scheme has a target to train 10 million people over a five-year period.