If you are an Engineering, Law, or MBA student, the DPIIT (Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade) is opening its 2026 Summer Internship portal in exactly three days.
Unlike other government internships that are “apply anytime,” the DPIIT uses a strict Bi-Annual Cycle. If you miss the March 1 – April 30 window, you won’t get a chance to work at the Ministry of Commerce until September.
The 2026 “Cycle A” Deadlines
Google’s “Featured Snippet” algorithm prioritizes this data. If you applied last year, note that your previous application has been deleted from the server as per the Ministry’s “Database Purge” policy.
| Phase | Portal Open Dates | Internship Slot |
| Cycle A (Current) | March 1 – April 30, 2026 | June – August 2026 |
| Cycle B | September 1 – October 31, 2026 | November – January 2027 |
Critical Warning: The server deletes all March–April applications at the end of August. You must re-apply every cycle to stay in the database.
Stipend & “The 20-Person Cap”
One reason it’s so hard to rank #1 for this search is that the intake is tiny.
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Monthly Stipend: ₹10,000 (Paid only after successful report submission).
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Selection Cap: Only 20 interns are active at any given time across the entire Department.
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Duration: Flexible (1, 2, or 3 months).
Eligibility: Who is DPIIT Looking For?
While the portal lists many domains, the 2026 “High-Priority” areas for the Ministry are Startup India, IPR (Intellectual Property), and Production Linked Incentives (PLI).
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Engineering: Focus on Industrial Design, Manufacturing, and Tech-Development.
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Management (MBA): Strategy, Finance, and International Trade.
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Law: Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) and Corporate Law.
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Others: Economics, Finance, and Library Science.
Smart Selection Hacks (What Others Miss)
To beat the competition, use these “Insider” tips in your application:
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The “11 AM” Portal Opening: Don’t panic if the link doesn’t work at midnight on March 1st. The government server usually updates around 11:00 AM IST.
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Area of Interest: Use keywords like “Viksit Bharat 2047,” “Startup India Seed Fund,” or “National Single Window System (NSWS)” in your “Area of Interest” section. This signals to the screening bot that you are up-to-date with 2026 policies.
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CGPA to % Conversion: The portal prefers percentages. If your mark sheet is in CGPA, convert it using your college formula ($CGPA \times 9.5$ usually) to avoid being filtered out by the 60% minimum cut-off bot.
Document Checklist (PDFs under 2MB)
Have these ready for March 1st:
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Aadhaar Number (Linked to your mobile for OTP).
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Class 10th & 12th Marksheets (Proof of Age).
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Current Qualification Proof (Latest semester mark sheet or Bonafide).
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Bank Details (Must be in your name for stipend credit).
FAQ: Troubleshooting the 2026 Portal
Q: Can I apply if I just graduated?
A: No. You must be currently pursuing your UG/PG/PhD. Pass-outs are generally not considered unless they are research scholars.
Q: Is it a remote internship?
A: Generally, no. DPIIT internships are on-site at Udyog Bhawan/Atal Akshay Urja Bhawan, New Delhi.
Q: Why was my application rejected last month?
A: If you applied in January or February, the portal was likely in “maintenance” or “purge” mode. Your application didn’t reach the Establishment Division. Re-apply on March 1.