New Delhi: A senior government official on Tuesday said if the top companies are not able to attract youth, then that is "something really questionable", comments that come amid sluggish response for the ambitious PM Internship Scheme.
Under the Prime Minister Internship Scheme (PMIS), implemented by the corporate affairs ministry, those in the age group of 18-25 years are eligible, and the interns will receive a minimum financial assistance of Rs 9,000 per month. Currently, the third round of the pilot phase of the scheme is underway.
At the CII Annual Business Summit 2026 in the national capital, Corporate Affairs Secretary Deepti Gaur Mukerjee highlighted that PMIS is not merely a government scheme but a transformative industry-led initiative.
She said the ministry is open to all recommendations and suggestions regarding PMIS.
"If there is a challenge to the top 2,000 companies and if you are not able to sell your company to the youth of the country, that is something really questionable.
"I think there is something with the way we are selling the companies. If we are not able to give the selling proposition to the smart youth of the country, then we really need to rethink... then we need to think about the quality of work which we are doing and the quality of internship which we are doing," the corporate affairs secretary said.
She was speaking in a session on 'PM Internship Scheme: Strengthening India's Talent Pipeline' at the industry body's annual business summit.
Asking industries to move beyond a numbers-driven approach, she said, "Please do not look at it from a point of view of just numbers, it is about the people behind those numbers".
According to the corporate affairs secretary, the scheme is not something that can be done in a tick-the-box manner and requires commitment and a belief that industry has the power to make that change in somebody's life.
In March, the ministry informed the Lok Sabha that 7,292 candidates left without completing their internships under the PMIS in the first two rounds of the pilot phase.
The first round of the project started on October 3, 2024, wherein about 6.21 lakh applications were received from more than 1.81 lakh candidates. Partner companies made over 82,000 internship offers to over 60,000 candidates, and 8,760 interns joined the internships.
In the second round that commenced from January 9, 2025, approximately 4.55 lakh applications were received from over 2.14 lakh candidates. Partner companies made 83,000 internship offers to over 71,000 candidates, and more than 7,300 interns joined the internships, the ministry had told the Lok Sabha.
