The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has invited applications for its newly launched Industry Fellowship Programme (IFP) 2026, an initiative aimed at strengthening ties between academia and industry. The programme seeks to equip faculty members with practical industry experience so they can better align classroom teaching with evolving workforce requirements.The fellowship will allow selected faculty members from AICTE-approved institutions to spend a year working directly with industries across high-growth sectors. The application process is currently underway, and selected fellows will begin their industry immersion on July 20, 2026.The application portal for the Industry Fellowship Programme is now open. Interested candidates can submit their applications online until June 25, 2026. The fellowship will run for one year, beginning on July 20, 2026.Under the programme, fellows will receive financial support of Rs 1 lakh per month. Of this amount, AICTE will provide Rs 75,000 per month, while the partnering industry will contribute a minimum of Rs 25,000 per month. For the 2026 cycle, AICTE has partnered with several major companies, including Tata Consumer Products Limited, Hero MotoCorp Ltd and Volvo. Together, these organisations are offering 134 fellowship positions.
AICTE Industry Fellowship Programme 2026: Eligibility
The applicants must be 50 years of age or younger as of May 26, 2026. Candidates should also have at least five years of full-time teaching experience in an AICTE-approved institution. Apart from these conditions, applicants must satisfy at least one additional eligibility criterion. These include qualifying national or state-level examinations such as GATE, GRE, CAT, MAT, JRF, SRF or NET; publishing at least five research papers in Scopus or Web of Science-indexed journals; leading government-funded research projects worth at least Rs 15 lakh; or receiving recognised scientific or academic awards from government agencies or universities.
How to apply for AICTE Industry Fellowship 2026
Applications can be submitted through the official AICTE Industry Fellowship portal. The selection process will be conducted in three stages, including document evaluation by an AICTE committee, an industry interview and final verification of credentials.Applicants must upload all required documents in the prescribed format while submitting their online forms. These include a passport-sized photograph, Aadhaar card, PAN card, academic certificates, experience certificates, a No Objection Certificate from the parent institution and a notarised affidavit.Interested candidates can submit their applications through the official Industry Fellowship Programme portal at ifp.aicte.gov.in. The direct link to register is here.