PM Internship Scheme: States with most opportunities not leading in participation
The third round of the Prime Minister Internship Scheme (PMIS) pilot has seen a shift in participation patterns, with Uttar Pradesh emerging as the top state for internship joiners, while Maharashtra overtook Tamil Nadu in posting the highest number of opportunities.
Data released by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs shows that in the first two rounds, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra led in internship opportunities posted, with Tamil Nadu posting over 14,500 and 15,700 opportunities in rounds one and two respectively. Maharashtra followed closely with 13,664 and 15,187. Gujarat also featured among top states. However, the number of candidates completing internships in these states remained low. Tamil Nadu recorded only 82 completed internships in round one and 59 in round two, despite generating the most opportunities.
In contrast, Assam consistently recorded the highest number of completed internships in the first two rounds, with 605 and 519 completions, despite posting fewer than 3,500 opportunities each time. Uttar Pradesh, which had modest completion numbers in earlier rounds, jumped to 2,038 joiners in round three—nearly three times the next best state, Maharashtra with 771 joiners.
The ministry attributed low acceptance and high dropout rates during the pilot phase to factors identified through an independent evaluation and feedback from candidates, industries, and state governments. Key reasons included the original 12-month internship period being considered too long, location preferences within 5-10 kilometres of residence, and lack of interest in offered roles.
In response, the government revised PMIS guidelines in March 2026 before launching the third round, introducing flexible internship durations and addressing location concerns. The scheme aims to provide one crore internships in top companies over five years, targeting youth aged 21-24.
The data underscores a gap between opportunity generation and actual participation, highlighting the need for better alignment of placements with candidate preferences.
