The Ministry of Corporate Affairs has urged leading companies participating in the PM Internship Scheme (PMIS) to establish dedicated PMIS cells within their organizations, an official told Financial Express. This step aims to enhance the implementation of the scheme, which has seen a lukewarm response in its initial phase.
By setting up in-house PMIS units, companies can better evaluate their workforce needs, particularly for interns, across different regions where they operate. These cells will also help streamline operations, address implementation challenges, and develop specialized training programs, the official explained.
One of the key challenges companies faced in the first round was a lack of ownership at the organizational level and poor assessment of workforce requirements. For example, despite 82,077 internship offers being made, only 28,141 candidates accepted positions. A major reason for this gap was that nearly 43% of these opportunities were concentrated in just five states—Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, and Haryana. Many candidates from other regions were unwilling to relocate due to the stipend being relatively low—₹5,000 per month along with a one-time allowance of ₹6,000.
Some companies have expressed a willingness to offer higher stipends if they find suitable candidates. Sumit Kumar, Chief Strategy Officer at Teamlease Degree Apprenticeship, pointed out that companies have previously raised stipend amounts under the National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS) and might do the same for PMIS interns. Establishing in-house PMIS centers could help companies provide relevant skills training, thereby bridging the gap between education and employment, Kumar added.
To reach its goal of facilitating 125,000 internships in FY25, the ministry has launched the second round of the pilot phase, inviting applications for over 100,000 internship opportunities across more than 300 companies. To raise awareness, over 70 information, education, and communication (IEC) events are being held across India.
Last Tuesday, the ministry hosted a PMIS event in Kolkata in collaboration with the Confederation of Indian Industry.
Initially announced in the Union Budget 2024-25, the PM Internship Scheme aims to provide internships to 10 million individuals over five years, targeting the top 500 companies based on their corporate social responsibility (CSR) spending. The program combines structured training with hands-on professional experience (lasting at least six months) to equip candidates with practical skills for the workforce.
