Introduction The AICTE Industry Fellowship Programme is designed to bridge the gap between academia and industry through active faculty engagement. By immersing faculty members in cutting-edge industrial environments, the programme attempts to equip them with contemporary industry insights, fostering their ability to deliver industry-aligned education. This initiative ultimately enhances the employability and industry readiness of students. As a pilot project, the scheme will train 350 faculty members in the 2025-26 academic year, with plans to scale to 1,500 participants annually over 3–5 years. Why For The Stakeholders Faculty Enhanced career growth Capacity building. Opportunity for deploying theory to practical Self-visualization Experience led learning Opportunities for entrepreneurships and start-ups Academia Faculty development opportunity. Developing Centre of Excellence Insights for aligning course & culture Value Additions Industry Active involvement in engineering education building national fit for future resources Access to experts & knowledge transfer through participants Creating talent pool of employee recruitment Establishing collaborative networks Become an employer of choice in engineering institution AICTE Building Fit for Future National Resources Empowering faculty through upskilling. Progressing towards the vision of Viksit Bharat @ 2047 Students Updated industry aligned relevant learnings Increase internship Enhanced employability Areas For Fellowship Faculty members can engage in cutting-edge sectors such as: Advanced Materials, Rare-Earth, & Critical Minerals Semiconductors Space & Defense Blue Economy Sustainability & Climate Change Advanced Computing (Supercomputing, AI, Quantum Computing) Next-Gen Communications Smart Cities & Mobility Aggrotech & Food Processing Healthcare & Med-Tech Disaster Management & Resilient Infrastructure Manufacturing & Industry 4.0 Core branches (Mechanical, Chemical, Civil, Electronics and Electrical etc.) Any other relevant sector Selection Process Industry Expression of Interest Industry partners express their interest by issuing a Letter of Intent (LoI) via email. The LoI outlines the specific sector(s) and the number of fellowships they wish to participate in. Nomination by Academic Institutions Academic institutions nominate eligible candidates (fellows) based on predefined eligibility criteria. Creation of a Centralized Portal A dedicated portal is developed to host Industry-issued positions with details such as sector and fellowship requirements. Profiles of the nominated fellows, including their credentials and relevant information. Selection of Fellows by Industry Applications received on the portal will be evaluated by AICTE for assurance of minimum prescribed qualification, experience and other parameters Pool of eligible Candidates, thereafter will be made available in the portal for Industry Partners. Industry partners access the portal to review the profiles of nominated fellows. They select suitable candidates from the pool based on their requirements and preferences. On boarding of Fellows selected fellows are on boarded by the industry partners to begin their fellowship Eligibility Criteria Faculty Member Minimum 5 years of full time teaching experience in AICTE approved institution. Period of Doctoral and Post-Doctoral research period and On deputation period will not count for eligibility. Regular (Excluding Part time/ Ad-hoc/ Contract / Temporary /Visiting etc.) faculty members from AICTE approved institutions/ Universities. Nomination and No Objection Certificate from parent Institute. format for NOC is given in Annexure-I. Should not exceed 50 years as on date 26th May,2026. Should fulfil anyone criteria: Qualified GATE/GRE/CAT/MAT/JRF/SRF /NET/Other Entrance examinations conducted by State/Central Government/ University/ Agencies for admission to PG /Doctoral programmes (OR) Authored at least 05 articles in Scopus/Web of Science (WoS) journals (OR) Proven track record of successfully completing projects funded by Central/State Government/Agencies for at least a total of 15 Lakhs (OR) Recipient of young scientist/ other proficiency awards constituted by State/Central Government/University/Agencies Industry Must have a registered office in India Must be at least 5 years of existence. Average Annual Turnover of Rs. 100.00 Cr or above for the past 03 years. Proprietorships/ Partnerships/ Limited Companies/ PSUs are eligible Firms listed in the Indian Stock Exchanges or with Overseas presence will be considered. Fellowship Durtion One year (12 months)/6 months from the date of commencement. Fellowship Amount AICTE Contribution: ₹75,000 per month. Industry Stipend: Minimum ₹25,000 per month. Sponsoring Institution: Salary as per the existing terms. Mode of Disbursement of Fellowship AICTE Contribution: DBT (Direct Beneficiary Transfer) via an automated portal. Industry Contribution: DBT (Direct Beneficiary Transfer) by the respective industry. Leave and Attendance Governed by the policies of the hiring industry. Cancellation of Enrollment/Admission The enrolment/admission to the AICTE- Industry Fellowship Programme is liable for cancellation in case of: Inability to complete the program within the stipulated timeframe. Misconduct or violation of program norms. He/She is found ineligible later. Any false information furnished by the applicant or any fraudulent activity by the scholar shall lead to Penal action against him/her. Insufficient attendance for the programme. Poor performance Voluntary withdrawal of the participants. Violation of any of the terms agreed upon by the signed and notarized Affidavit. Format for Affidavit (to be notarized on a stamp paper of minimum Rs.10) is given at Annexure-II Upon cancellation of the enrolment the fellowship availed by the participant will have to be paid back to AICTE. Also, the participant will not be allowed to apply for the subsequent 02 years. Evaluation and Award of Certificate The Industry will evaluate Fellows Quarter-wise (4 Times for 1 year programme and 2 times for Six Months programme). They will prepare an assessment report in line with the objectives of the programme and the skills achieved by the faculty members during the programme. The same will be shared with AICTE by uploading it on the portal. The Industry will also issue experience certificate to the faculty member, upon successful completion of the programme, elaborating the key skills achieved, areas improved, innovations proposed/underwent/ made and patents published by the participant during the fellowship. General Terms and Conditions The faculty member will be engaged (at least for the period of 1 year/6 months) as a full time AICTE Industry Fellow by the Industry. The scheme shall be automated through portal like inviting Industry, onboarding, seeking application from faculty members, nomination of the Institution, screening, selection, letter of engagement, periodical assessment, disbursement of scholarship, awarding certificate on successful completion of the programme. The fellowship shall be offered as per the calendar notified in scheme document and portal. Faculty members shall be responsible to protect data confidentiality/ IP as per their respective industry policy. They will sign a non-disclosure agreement with industry on their terms, in the event of getting selected. Industry will engage the fellows in appropriate designation as ‘AICTE-Industry Fellow'. Faculty members will execute a bond with the parent institute before proceeding to join the industry under the fellowship that: "I will serve in (Name of the Parent Institution) a minimum of consecutive 03 years post completion of the Industry Fellowship Programme, in designation, equal to or higher to my designation as on the date of relieving, subject to the institute paying monthly salary for the entire period of fellowship". Faculty members will oblige with terms and conditions referred in the scheme guideline, Affidavit they submit, norms/rules/regulations of the parent organization as well as the Industry doing the period of fellowship, in the event of getting selected. Timeline Event Tentative Date Portal open for Industry On Boarding 1st Feb - 22nd May, 2026 Portal Opening to Invite Applications from Faculty Members 26th May, 2026 - 25th June, 2026 Screening/ Selection/Offer Letter to Faculty Members 1st July, 2026 - 15th July, 2026 Start of Program 20th-25th July, 2026 How to Apply Registration Link: https://ifp.aicte.gov.in/faculty-registration Enquiries ifp.tlb@aicte-india.org Source: AICTE Industry Fellowship Programme For Technical Education Faculty