IndiaAI Fellowship 2026: What Indian Students Need to Know Before 30 November

By Chandra Sekhar

IndiaAI Fellowship 2026 offers up to ₹1 lakh for undergraduate students and up to ₹2 lakh for postgraduate students working on AI projects. The last date to apply is 30 November 2026. PhD scholars can get monthly support from ₹70,000 to ₹80,000. Check the official portal because rules can change.

What is AI and why this fellowship matters

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is computer software that can do work that usually needs human thinking. It can read text, recognise pictures, answer questions, write code, or find patterns in data. Tools like ChatGPT or Gemini are examples you may have used. This fellowship from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) under the IndiaAI Mission gives money to Indian students who want to do research or projects in AI. It is not a job offer and not a guaranteed admission. It is support for eligible full-time students already studying in India.

If you are in Class 12 or just starting college, this is mainly for students already in UG, PG or PhD. You can still learn the basics now so you are ready later. Campus Reality has written earlier about AI stocks and Indian tech students so you can see how the field is moving.

Who can apply and who should skip

From reports, the fellowship is open to full-time UG, Integrated Dual Degree (IDD), PG and eligible PhD students in India. UG and IDD applicants usually need to have completed at least three AI-related courses. Exact semester rules (for example 5th semester for 3-year UG) are on the official portal. Always match your current semester and courses with the latest guidelines.

Who should skip for now

• Students still in Class 12 or first year who have not started AI courses.
• Anyone who cannot get institutional endorsement or supervisor recommendation.
• People looking for a regular job or internship stipend. This is research support, not placement.
• Anyone who will not read the official PDF and portal before applying.

How much money and what it covers

Numbers reported so far:

• Undergraduate and IDD: up to ₹1 lakh
• Postgraduate: up to ₹2 lakh
• PhD: monthly fellowship ₹70,000 (years 1-2), ₹75,000 (year 3), ₹80,000 (years 4-5)
• Extra research grant up to ₹2 lakh per year for PhD in some cases
• One-time up to ₹1 lakh for travel if a paper is accepted at a high-index international AI conference

These are upper limits. Actual amount depends on the project and rules. Institutional overhead is capped around 10 percent in reports. Do not treat these as guaranteed cash in hand. Official notice wins.

How to apply

Visit the official IndiaAI Fellowship portal at fellowship.indiaai.gov.in. Read the category guidelines, prepare academic records, and get the required signatures from your supervisor and department head. Submit before 30 November 2026. The portal was returning errors when we checked; try again later and keep a screenshot of any confirmation.

Common mistakes: applying without the exact number of AI courses completed, missing institutional letter, or waiting till the last day when the site is slow.

What you can do this week

If you are eligible, download the guidelines today and check your semester and course list. If you are not yet eligible, start one free AI course (for example from NPTEL or official IndiaAI resources) so you meet the three-course rule later. Do not pay anyone who promises to “get you the fellowship”. There is no official fee for application in the reports we saw.

This page will be updated if the official portal publishes clearer numbers. Always verify on the government site before you spend time or money.