IndiaAI Fellowship 2026-27: Applications Open for UG, PG, Dual Degree and PhD Students
The IndiaAI Fellowship 2026-27 applications are now open. Under the IndiaAI FutureSkills initiative of the IndiaAI Mission (Government of India), fresh applications have been invited from UG, PG, Integrated Dual Degree (IDD) and PhD students working on AI or AI-related projects, as per the announcement dated 16 October 2026 on the official fellowship portal. Students from any discipline, including engineering, science, medicine, law, commerce, business and liberal arts, can apply.
UG and IDD students can get funding support of up to Rs. 1 lakh, PG students up to Rs. 2 lakh, and PhD scholars a monthly fellowship of Rs. 70,000 to Rs. 80,000 plus a research grant of Rs. 2 lakh per year. In this article, we have explained the IndiaAI Fellowship eligibility, benefits, documents and how to apply, category-wise. You can also check the ACTREC JRF 2027, the UGC NET December 2026 and the Grid-India Vidyut Pragya Internship 2026.
Quick summary:
➤ Scheme: IndiaAI Fellowship (IndiaAI FutureSkills, IndiaAI Mission)
➤ Academic year: 2026-27 (applications opened, announced on 16.10.2026)
➤ Who can apply: UG (final year), PG (1st–3rd semester), IDD (final year), PhD (first year)
➤ UG / IDD benefit: Up to Rs. 1 lakh
➤ PG benefit: Up to Rs. 2 lakh for the full programme
➤ PhD benefit: Rs. 70,000–80,000 per month + Rs. 2 lakh research grant per year
➤ Conference support: Up to Rs. 1 lakh (one-time)
➤ Apply: Online at fellowship.indiaai.gov.in
Table of Contents
- IndiaAI Fellowship 2026-27 Overview
- Category-wise Benefits
- Eligibility for UG Students
- Eligibility for PG Students
- Eligibility for PhD Scholars
- Eligibility for Integrated Dual Degree
- Documents Required
- Students Selected So Far
- How to Apply
- FAQs
- Important Links
IndiaAI Fellowship 2026-27 Overview
The IndiaAI Fellowship aims to build an AI-skilled workforce by supporting students who do AI projects and research at recognised institutes. Here is a short overview of the IndiaAI Fellowship 2026-27.
| Scheme | IndiaAI Fellowship |
| Initiative | IndiaAI FutureSkills, under the IndiaAI Mission |
| Academic Year | 2026-27 |
| Announcement Date | 16 October 2026 ("Fresh Applications Open for AY 2026-27") |
| Categories | UG, PG, Integrated Dual Degree, PhD |
| Nationality | Indian nationals only |
| Part-time Students | Not eligible |
| Application Mode | Online (through the institute's nodal officer / guide) |
| Official Portal | fellowship.indiaai.gov.in |
IndiaAI Fellowship Benefits (Category-wise)
The IndiaAI Fellowship amount depends on the course. PhD scholars get a monthly fellowship for up to 5 years, while UG, PG and IDD students get project funding. The category-wise benefits are given below.
| Category | Benefit |
|---|---|
| UG (final year) | Funding support of up to Rs. 1 lakh |
| Integrated Dual Degree | Funding support of up to Rs. 1 lakh |
| PG | Funding support of up to Rs. 2 lakh for the entire duration of the programme |
| PhD | Rs. 70,000 per month (Years 1–2), Rs. 75,000 per month (Year 3), Rs. 80,000 per month (Years 4–5), lump sum including HRA etc.; plus a research grant of Rs. 2 lakh per year (institutional overheads capped at 10%) |
| All categories | Any student whose paper is selected for an international AI conference with an h5 rating of more than 100 gets one-time support of up to Rs. 1 lakh for travel and/or stay. |
IndiaAI Fellowship Eligibility for UG Students
- Must be in the final year of the undergraduate course.
- 3-year UG: can apply after the 4th semester or after 2nd-year results. 4-year UG: after the 6th semester or after 3rd-year results.
- Must undertake a project based on AI or AI-related domains.
- Must have completed at least 3 full-time courses in AI.
- Minimum CGPA 7.0 or 70% in the last completed semester.
- Any discipline is eligible; part-time students are not.
IndiaAI Fellowship Eligibility for PG Students
- Must have confirmed admission to a postgraduate course; can apply only in the 1st, 2nd or 3rd semester.
- 1st semester applicants: overall CGPA 7.0 / 70% (or equivalent) in graduation.
- 2nd and 3rd semester applicants: CGPA 7.0 / 70% in graduation and at least CGPA 7.0 / 70% till the last completed PG semester.
- Must undertake a project based on AI or AI-related domains and have completed at least 3 full-time courses in AI.
- Any discipline is eligible; part-time students are not.
IndiaAI Fellowship Eligibility for PhD Scholars
- Must have confirmed admission to a PhD; only newly enrolled (first-year) scholars can apply, during enrolment.
- Research domain must be based on AI or a related field.
- Minimum CGPA 8.0 / 80% in UG, or CGPA 7.5 / 75% in PG.
- Part-time scholars are not eligible.
IndiaAI Fellowship Eligibility for Integrated Dual Degree
- Must be in the final year; can apply after the 8th semester or after 4th-year results.
- Minimum CGPA 7.0 or overall 70% till the last completed semester.
- Must undertake an AI project and have completed at least 3 full-time courses in AI.
- Any discipline is eligible; part-time students are not.
IndiaAI Fellowship Documents Required
All applicants need a signed and stamped endorsement letter on the institute's letterhead (in the prescribed format), a cancelled cheque or passbook cover page (account in the student's name) and a passport-size photo (JPG / JPEG / PNG). The other category-wise documents are given below.
| Category | Endorsement By | Other Documents |
|---|---|---|
| UG | Guide / Head of Department / Head of Institution | Original mark sheets till the last semester of UG |
| PG | Guide / Head of Department / Head of Institution | Proof of CGPA 7.0 / 70%; GATE scorecard (optional) |
| PhD | Institute Head / HoD / Registrar | Consolidated original mark sheets of all UG and PG semesters |
| Integrated Dual Degree | Guide / Head of Department / Head of Institution | Original mark sheets till the last semester of the IDD programme |
IndiaAI Fellowship: Students Selected So Far
As per the statistics shown on the IndiaAI Fellowship portal, the number of students and institutes selected so far is given below.
| Category | Students | Institutes |
|---|---|---|
| UG | 288 | 54 |
| PG | 145 | 42 |
| PhD | 228 | 50 |
| Total (as shown on portal) | 680 | 109 |
How to Apply for IndiaAI Fellowship 2026-27
- Check that your institute is listed on the portal. If not, ask your institute's nodal officer to register on the portal.
- Visit fellowship.indiaai.gov.in and click "Apply Now" / Student Login.
- Choose your category (UG, PG, IDD or PhD) and fill in the details.
- Download the endorsement letter format, get it signed and stamped by the guide / HoD / institute head, and upload it.
- Upload the bank proof, mark sheets and photo, and submit.
The last date for applications is not given on the portal pages shared; check the announcements section of the portal for the deadline.
IndiaAI Fellowship 2026-27 FAQs
Q1. Are IndiaAI Fellowship 2026-27 applications open?
Yes. The portal announced "Fresh Applications Open for AY 2026-27" on 16 October 2026.
Q2. Who can apply for the IndiaAI Fellowship?
Indian UG (final year), PG (1st–3rd semester), Integrated Dual Degree (final year) and first-year PhD students doing AI-related projects or research, from any discipline.
Q3. How much is the IndiaAI PhD fellowship?
Rs. 70,000 per month for the first 2 years, Rs. 75,000 in the 3rd year and Rs. 80,000 in the 4th and 5th years, plus Rs. 2 lakh research grant per year.
Q4. How much do UG and PG students get?
Up to Rs. 1 lakh for UG and IDD, and up to Rs. 2 lakh for PG students.
Q5. Can students from West Bengal apply?
Yes, Indian students from any state can apply if their institute is registered on the portal and they meet the eligibility.
Q6. Is there conference support?
Yes. Students whose paper is selected at an international AI conference with h5 rating above 100 can get up to Rs. 1 lakh one-time support.
IndiaAI Fellowship 2026-27 Important Links
Important Links
| Description | Link |
|---|---|
| Apply Now (Student Login) | Apply Online |
| IndiaAI Fellowship Portal | fellowship.indiaai.gov.in |
| Guidelines for Students | Download |
| IndiaAI FutureSkills | indiaai.gov.in |
| Join WhatsApp Channel | Join Now |
| Join Telegram Channel | Join Now |
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Pradip Chakraborty is a Biology teacher with 6+ years in content writing, including 3.5+ years on government jobs and education. He checks every official notice and explains it in simple words for students and job seekers. Spotted a mistake? Let us know.