PM Internship Scheme helped youth gain skills, secure full-time jobs at big brands: Beneficiaries
New Delhi, August 14
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday interacted with beneficiaries of the Prime Minister's Internship Scheme, several of whom said the programme helped them gain practical skills, overcome personal barriers and secure full time employment opportunities under big brands.
Sonu Kumar, who was working as a sales executive and running a cyber cafe in 2024, said the internship helped him secure better career prospects and urged the younger generation to apply for the scheme to pursue their aspirations.
Despite holding an English Honours degree, Kumar received technical training to restore instruments during his internship, highlighting how PMIS opportunities are not necessarily limited to a candidate's academic qualification.
"PM internship has made my life easy so that I can work in a good firm," he said urging coming generation to apply for PMIS so that they can "achieve their dreams."
In 2024, he was working as sales executive and also ran a cyber cafe, Reliance Industry officials told him about PMIS internship.
Technical job of restoring instruments, but background is English Hons. not a engineering.
To this, FM Sitharman responded, "PMIS is not necessarily tied only to the qualification you have."
Another intern, who worked as a cashier at Vishal Mega Mart, said the experience helped her improve her customer interaction skills. "This opportunity has helped me improve myself and I wish to explore more in the retail sector," she said.
An intern from Gorakhpur who secured an internship at GAIL India working on SAP module said the programme provided valuable exposure to training and development, while her mentor helped her understand workplace etiquette and guided her throughout the internship.
An IBM intern said she initially doubted whether the programme was genuine but eventually secured a full-time opportunity with the company.
"I was completely introvert and shy...I have improved now..." she said when FM asked whether the programme helped her improve.
PMIS is an initiative by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs that offers 12-month real-world internships in top 500 companies for youth aged 21-24 to build practical job skills and boost work experience.
— ANI
Reader Comments
The girl from Gorakhpur working at GAIL on SAP module is really inspiring. Small-town students often don't get exposure to corporate culture, and this scheme seems to be genuinely helping them build confidence. The mentorship aspect is crucial - just learning the technical stuff isn't enough, you need guidance on workplace etiquette too. Kudos to the ministry for thinking holistically!
Good initiative but I wish they would also focus on providing stipends that match the cost of living in metro cities. Internships without proper pay can still be a luxury for many underprivileged youth. However, the success stories mentioned here do give some hope. Let's see how many of these interns actually get converted to permanent roles after the 12 months.
As someone who mentors freshers, I can say that internships like these are game-changers. The shy girl who became confident at IBM - I've seen countless such transformations. The problem in India is that we focus too much on marks and degrees, but not enough on soft skills and practical exposure. PMIS seems to be addressing exactly that. Well done!
I have mixed feelings. It's good that these youth got opportunities, but why only top 500 companies? What about small businesses and startups that also need skilled workers? Also, 21-24 age bracket is quite limited. Many people in their late 20s also need upskilling. Having said that, any step towards practical education is welcome, no matter how small.
The story of Sonu Kumar really resonated with me. So many of us end up in jobs completely different
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