In the initial phases of the Prime Minister Internship Scheme (PMIS), both Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra were notable for the large number of internship opportunities they offered. However, these states did not achieve a similar level of success in terms of candidates completing the program.

Gujarat was also among the top states for creating internship opportunities, but the actual participant numbers were comparatively low.

The third round of the initiative saw a significant shift, with Maharashtra surpassing Tamil Nadu in the total number of internship openings. Uttar Pradesh emerged as the front-runner in terms of candidate participation, underscoring a disparity between the availability of internships and the actual involvement of candidates.

States with the Most Internship Opportunities

• 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 data reveals that a considerable portion of internship opportunities was concentrated in a few industrial states. Tamil Nadu led the first two rounds with more than 14,500 opportunities before Maharashtra took the lead in Round III with over 17,000 postings.

However, the states generating the most opportunities did not necessarily correlate with higher rates of actual internship participation.

Candidate Participation in Internships

• Round I: Assam 605 completed (3,457 opportunities posted), Uttar Pradesh 521 completed (9,027 opportunities posted), Madhya Pradesh 292 completed (5,627 opportunities posted)
• Round II: Assam 519 completed (2,516 opportunities posted), Kerala 225 completed (3,251 opportunities posted), Odisha 199 completed (3,449 opportunities posted)
• Round III: Uttar Pradesh 2,038 joined (11,283 opportunities posted), Maharashtra 771 joined (17,004 opportunities posted), Assam 699 joined (2,884 opportunities posted)

It’s important to note that the figures for Round III reflect those who joined the program rather than completed internships.

The situation in Tamil Nadu is particularly noteworthy, as it generated the highest number of opportunities in the first two rounds but only saw 82 internships completed in Round I and 59 in Round II. Conversely, Maharashtra, with over 13,000 opportunities in Round I and 15,000 in Round II, recorded completion numbers of just 150 in both rounds.

Assam, despite offering fewer than 3,500 opportunities in each of the first two rounds, consistently had the highest completion rates. In Round III, Uttar Pradesh stood out with more than 2,000 interns joining, nearly tripling the participation of the next best state.

Reasons for Low Candidate Acceptance

The data indicates that merely offering internship opportunities did not guarantee participation. The conversion rates from available internships to actual candidates varied significantly across different states.

The Ministry of Corporate Affairs has linked the low participation and high dropout rates during the pilot phase to several factors, based on an independent evaluation and feedback from various stakeholders.

Many candidates viewed the original 12-month internship duration as excessively long compared to alternative skilling programs. Location was also a significant concern, with candidates expressing a preference for internships within a 5-10 kilometer radius of their homes. Additionally, some candidates reportedly lost interest in the roles offered after receiving internship offers.

In response to these challenges, the government updated the PMIS guidelines in March 2026 ahead of launching the third round. The revised structure introduced shorter internship durations of six or nine months, depending on the needs of the companies. The monthly stipend was increased from Rs 5,000 to Rs 9,000, eligibility criteria were relaxed, and the range of participating companies and organizations was expanded.

Metrics Overview

• Round I: Internship opportunities posted 127,508, Applications received 621,962, Offers given 82,077, Completed/Joined 3,730
• Round II: Internship opportunities posted 118,948, Applications received 455,267, Offers given 83,696, Completed/Joined 2,689
• Round III: Internship opportunities posted 122,148, Applications received 260,747, Offers given 20,532, Completed/Joined 10,195

Note that all Round III figures represent interns who joined as of July 15, 2026, given that the round is still ongoing.

The impact of these adjustments appears evident in the latest round, with over 10,000 interns joining by July 15, 2026, in contrast to the 3,730 completed internships in Round I and 2,689 in Round II. While final completion statistics for the current round are yet to be released, early joining data indicates a promising start following the revisions.