4 min readNew DelhiJul 29, 2026 04:35 PM IST
Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra accounted for the highest number of internship opportunities posted under the first two rounds of the Prime Minister Internship Scheme (PMIS) pilot, but the states did not see a similar lead in the number of candidates completing the programme.
Gujarat also featured among the top states in opportunities created, while actual participation remained relatively lower.
The trend changed in the third round, with Maharashtra overtaking Tamil Nadu in the number of internship openings posted. Uttar Pradesh, meanwhile, emerged as the state with the highest number of candidates joining internships, highlighting a gap between where opportunities were available and where candidates ultimately participated.
States posting the highest number of internship opportunities
| Round | 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
| Round I | Tamil Nadu (14,585) | Maharashtra (13,664) | Gujarat (11,690) |
| Round II | Tamil Nadu (15,785) | Maharashtra (15,187) | Gujarat (11,672) |
| Round III | Maharashtra (17,004) | Tamil Nadu (15,700) | Karnataka (12,867) |
The figures indicate that a significant share of internship opportunities remained concentrated in a handful of industrial states. Tamil Nadu led in the first two rounds with more than 14,500 opportunities each time before Maharashtra took the lead in Round III by posting over 17,000 opportunities.
However, the states generating the highest number of opportunities were not necessarily the ones where internships translated into actual participation.
Where candidates actually completed or joined internships
| Round | State | Completed/Joined | Opportunities Posted | Offers Given |
| Round I | Assam | 605 completed | 3,457 | 3,843 |
| Uttar Pradesh | 521 completed | 9,027 | 11,563 | |
| Madhya Pradesh | 292 completed | 5,627 | 6,244 | |
| Round II | Assam | 519 completed | 2,516 | 2,349 |
| Kerala | 225 completed | 3,251 | 1,653 | |
| Odisha | 199 completed | 3,449 | 7,242 | |
| Round III | Uttar Pradesh | 2,038 joined | 11,283 | 3,365 |
| Maharashtra | 771 joined | 17,004 | 1,717 | |
| Assam | 699 joined | 2,884 | 1,103 |
Round III reports interns who joined the programme rather than internships completed.
The contrast is particularly striking in Tamil Nadu. While it generated the largest number of internship opportunities in the first two rounds, it recorded only 82 completed internships in Round I and 59 in Round II. Maharashtra, which posted more than 13,000 opportunities in Round I and over 15,000 in Round II, also recorded relatively low completion numbers of 150 in each round.
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By comparison, Assam consistently recorded the highest number of completed internships in the first two rounds despite posting fewer than 3,500 opportunities in either round. Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh emerged as the standout performer in Round III after more than 2,000 interns joined the programme — nearly three times the number recorded by the next best-performing state.
Why the low acceptance among candidates?
The state-wise figures suggest that the availability of internship opportunities alone did not determine participation. The conversion from opportunities to completed internships or joined candidates varied considerably across states.
The Centre has attributed the low acceptance and high dropout rates during the pilot phase to several factors identified through an independent evaluation conducted by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs and feedback from candidates, industries, industry associations and state governments.
According to the ministry, many candidates considered the original 12-month internship period too long compared to other skilling programmes. Location also emerged as a major concern, with candidates indicating that internships within 5-10 kilometres of their residence were preferable. The ministry further said that some candidates were simply not interested in the roles offered after receiving internship offers.
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In response, the government revised the PMIS guidelines in March 2026 before launching the third round. The revised framework introduced flexible internship durations of six or nine months, depending on company requirements. It also raised the monthly allowance from Rs 5,000 to Rs 9,000, relaxed the age and eligibility criteria for applicants, and widened the pool of companies and organisations eligible to participate.
| Metric | Round I | Round II | Round III* |
| Internship opportunities posted | 127,508 | 118,948 | 122,148 |
| Applications received | 621,962 | 455,267 | 260,747 |
| Offers given | 82,077 | 83,696 | 20,532 |
| Completed/Joined | 3,730 | 2,689 | 10,195 |
Note that all Round III figures refer to interns who had joined the programme as of July 15, 2026, since the round is still ongoing.
The impact of those changes appears to be visible in the latest round. As of July 15, 2026, more than 10,000 interns had joined under Round III, compared with 3,730 completed internships in Round I and 2,689 in Round II. While the ministry has not yet released final completion figures for the ongoing round, the early joining data suggests stronger initial uptake following the revisions.
