Jubilant FoodWorks, L&T, M&M take lead in PM internship scheme

Over 13,000 internship opportunities have been posted on the PM Internship portal as of Monday, with top contributors including Jubilant FoodWorks Ltd, Larsen & Toubro Ltd, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd, and Tech Mahindra Ltd, according to an official familiar with the development.
The programme, announced in the Union Budget for FY25, was launched on 3 October. It offers interns a monthly financial assistance of ₹5,000 and a one-time payment of ₹6,000, with partial funding from the Centre.
Companies can cover the training costs and contribute ₹500 per intern towards the monthly financial assistance using their corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds.
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Emails sent to the ministry of corporate affairs and the companies for comment remained unanswered at the time of publishing.
The internships span various sectors, including banking and financial services, oil, gas, and energy, FMCG, manufacturing, and travel and hospitality, the source added, requesting anonymity. They are available in roles such as sales and marketing, production and manufacturing, and operations management.
Currently, internships are being offered across 179 districts in 30 states and union territories.
The government will open the portal, ‘pminternship.mca.gov.in,’ for unemployed youth aged 21-24 on 12 October. A toll-free helpline has also been established to assist applicants.
The one-year Prime Minister’s internship programme aims to bridge the skill gaps among young people, provide hands-on business experience, and enhance their employability. This initiative also seeks to harness India’s demographic dividend, as a larger workforce contributes to higher economic output.
Those who have passed high school, have a certificate from an industrial training institute, hold a diploma from a polytechnic institute, or are graduates in disciplines including arts, science, commerce, pharmacy and business administration are eligible to apply.
Graduates from the Indian Institutes of Technology, the Indian Institutes of Management, National Law Universities, and professionally qualified individuals such as chartered accountants or those having MBBS degrees are not eligible to apply.
The internship scheme seeks to be beneficial to those from economically disadvantaged groups. Accordingly, if the collective income of the family members of a candidate exceeded ₹8 lakh in 2023-24, or if any member of the family is a permanent government employee, such candidates are not eligible to apply.
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The government has been taking steps to support sectors that are labour-intensive, such as textiles, while giving production incentives and research support for new-age industries.