IndiaAI Fellowship supports full-time undergraduate, postgraduate and PhD students undertaking AI or related projects at participating Indian institutions. IndiaAI, an independent business division of Digital India Corporation, runs the scheme through the IndiaAI FutureSkills pillar.
UG and PG candidates are nominated through their institutions on a continuous basis. The PhD track uses institution-level shortlisting followed by IndiaAI’s final decision, and its 2025–26 application window closed on 28 February 2026.
Benefits & funding
- UG and integrated dual-degree fellows can receive up to INR 100,000 in two INR 50,000 tranches during the final year.
- PG fellows can receive up to INR 200,000 from first-semester entry, INR 150,000 from second-semester entry or INR 100,000 from third-semester entry, paid in INR 50,000 tranches.
- PhD fellows receive INR 70,000 per month in years one and two, INR 75,000 in year three, and INR 80,000 in years four and five, until PhD completion or five years, whichever comes first.
- Each PhD fellow is eligible for a research contingency grant of INR 200,000 per year, up to INR 1,000,000 over five years; the institution receives INR 25,000 per fellow per year in overheads.
- A fellow whose paper or project is accepted by an international conference organized by a publisher with an H5 index above 100 can receive one-time travel or accommodation support of up to INR 100,000.
Eligibility
- Applicants must be Indian nationals and full-time students working on an AI or related project; part-time students are not eligible.
- UG and integrated dual-degree applicants must be in their final year, have completed at least three full-time AI-related courses and hold at least 80% or an equivalent grade through the last completed semester.
- PG applicants must be in the first three semesters of an AI-related postgraduate course, hold at least 80% or equivalent in their undergraduate degree, and, for second- or third-semester applications, at least 75% or equivalent in postgraduate study to date.
- PhD applicants must be newly enrolled in a full-time AI PhD at a participating institution, receive no other scholarship or salary, and meet the relevant academic threshold: at least 8.0 CGPA or equivalent in graduation, 7.5 in a master’s degree, or 55% in medical professional examinations.
Can you apply?
Here's who can apply
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Eligible nationalities
India
Education required
Bachelor Enrolled · Master Enrolled · PhD Enrolled
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Application process
- 1Confirm that the academic institution participates in the IndiaAI Fellowship; PhD applicants whose institution is not listed should contact its nodal officer.
- 2Prepare the prescribed nomination, including the project brief, academic records, bank details and photograph.
- 3Obtain signed endorsements from the project guide and the head of department, registrar or institution head.
- 4Have the institution submit the nomination; for PhD candidates, the institution shortlists eligible applicants and IndiaAI makes the final decision.
Program timeline
Continuous
UG and PG institutional nominations
Application deadline for the 2025–26 PhD intake
Feb 28, 2026
Final planned PhD fellowship cohort
2027