The IndiaAI Fellowship pays students real money to work on AI projects: ₹1 lakh for undergraduates, ₹2 lakh for postgraduates, and ₹70,000–80,000 a month for PhD scholars. Applications for this round close November 30, 2026.
Updated: October 22, 2026, 11:30 AM IST
Quick Read
- The IndiaAI Fellowship is a government-backed programme under the IndiaAI Mission that funds student AI research and projects.
- Undergraduate and integrated dual-degree students get ₹1 lakh; postgraduate students get ₹2 lakh; PhD scholars get ₹70,000–80,000 per month, plus ₹1 lakh for conference travel.
- Applications are open at fellowship.indiaai.gov.in — this round’s deadline is November 30, 2026.
What is the IndiaAI Fellowship?
The IndiaAI Fellowship is a national fellowship programme run under the IndiaAI Mission — the government’s big push to make India a serious player in artificial intelligence. The idea is simple: instead of letting good student AI projects die for lack of money, the programme funds them directly.
This is not a loan and not a scholarship tied to marks. It’s a fellowship for a project — you propose an AI project, and if it’s selected, you get the money to build it. The programme covers undergraduate (UG), postgraduate (PG) and PhD students, with different amounts for each level.
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How much money do you get?
The amounts are genuinely useful — this is not token prize money:
- Undergraduate / Integrated Dual Degree (UG/IDD): ₹1,00,000
- Postgraduate (PG): ₹2,00,000
- PhD scholars: ₹70,000–80,000 per month
- Conference support: an additional ₹1,00,000 for presenting your work at conferences
For a student, ₹1–2 lakh is real runway. It covers a good GPU laptop or cloud compute credits, datasets, and the months of living costs while you build. The conference money matters too — presenting at a real AI conference is the kind of line on a resume that changes job interviews.
Who can apply?
The fellowship is aimed at students enrolled in recognised Indian institutions who are working on (or planning) AI projects. The key word is project — you need a concrete proposal, not just an interest in AI.
What makes a strong proposal? Three things, based on how these fellowships are typically judged: a clear problem (what are you solving?), a real AI method (not just “we will use AI” — which model, which approach?), and a believable plan to finish it. Projects tied to Indian problems — agriculture, healthcare, Indian languages, governance — tend to stand out, because the Mission’s whole point is AI that serves India.
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How to apply (step by step)
Applications run through the official portal: fellowship.indiaai.gov.in. The current round’s deadline is November 30, 2026 — about five weeks from now, so don’t sit on it. Students juggling entrance exams this season should also note that the CAT 2026 admit card drops on November 4 — details in our CAT 2026 admit card download guide.
The typical application asks for: your details and institution, a project proposal (what you’ll build, how, and by when), and sometimes a faculty mentor or guide. Before you start, write your proposal in a document first — get the idea tight and clear in plain language — then fill the form. A proposal a non-expert can understand beats a jargon-heavy one every time.
One practical tip: don’t apply with a vague idea. The reviewers see hundreds of proposals. “AI chatbot for farmers” is forgettable. “A voice-based crop-disease advisor in Hindi and Marathi, trained on 10,000 field images, tested with 50 farmers in Nashik” is a proposal. Specificity wins.
Why this matters beyond the money
Here’s the part nobody tells students: the money is the smallest benefit. The biggest benefit is the signal. An IndiaAI Fellowship on your resume tells every employer and every foreign university that your project cleared a national selection process. In a job market where everyone claims “AI skills,” a government-backed fellowship is proof, not a claim.
And the timing is good. India’s AI ecosystem is hiring aggressively — startups, IT services firms pivoting to AI, and global companies building India teams. A funded project with a conference presentation puts you ahead of 90% of applicants who only have coursework.
FAQs
What is the IndiaAI Fellowship amount?
₹1 lakh for UG/IDD students, ₹2 lakh for PG students, ₹70,000–80,000/month for PhD scholars, plus ₹1 lakh for conference travel.
What is the last date to apply for the IndiaAI Fellowship?
November 30, 2026, for the current round. Apply at fellowship.indiaai.gov.in.
Who is eligible for the IndiaAI Fellowship?
Students enrolled in recognised Indian institutions with a concrete AI project proposal — UG, PG and PhD levels are all covered.
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