Part-time jobs and internships for students in India

Facts checked on 11 October 2026

Who may work

Indian students

If you are 18 or over, studying does not restrict you from working. We found no law that limits the hours an adult student may work; the ordinary labour laws apply to you as to anyone else. Your college may have its own rules on attendance and outside work, so check those.

The law does protect the young: children under 14 may not be employed at all, apart from helping in a family enterprise after school hours, and those aged 14 to 18 may not do hazardous work.

Foreign students in India

A Student visa is granted to people whose sole purpose is full-time study, and the visa rules contain no provision for taking a job. An internship or industrial training that your course requires needs no extra permission. Other internships are done on a separate Intern visa, which has its own conditions.

If you are in India on a Student visa, do not accept paid work on the strength of this page. Ask your institution and the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) first.

Internships

For most students in India, paid work during a course means an internship. The main official routes are:

PM Internship Scheme. Internships of several months at large companies for people aged 18 to 25, paying at least ₹9,000 a month plus a one-time grant. It was still running as a pilot when we checked, and final-year undergraduate and postgraduate students could apply with a no-objection certificate from their institution. Applications are made on the scheme's own portal.
AICTE National Internship Portal. Lists internships with government bodies and companies, including remote ones, with the stipend stated in each listing.
Apprenticeships. The National Apprenticeship Training Scheme offers a year of paid training to graduates and diploma holders, with the government sharing the cost of the stipend. Apprentices, unlike interns, have a minimum stipend set by the government.

Stipends: no law sets a minimum stipend for interns in general. Some internships pay well, many pay little, and some pay nothing. Before you accept, get the stipend, the duration and the working hours in writing, and be wary of any "internship" that asks you to pay a fee.

Part-time work and pay

Students in India commonly earn from tutoring, content and design work, delivery and retail shifts, event work and remote internships. Much of it is informal or freelance, so agree the rate and when you will be paid before you begin.

For ordinary employment, minimum wages are set by the central and state governments and differ by state, by type of work and by skill level, so there is no single national figure to quote. The Code on Wages came into force on 21 November 2025; the national floor wage it provides for had not been notified when we checked. Your state labour department publishes the current rates.

Before you are paid

A PAN. You need one to be paid properly and to file a tax return. An adult with an Aadhaar-linked mobile number can get an instant e-PAN free of charge from the Income Tax Department.
PAN linked to Aadhaar. An unlinked PAN becomes inoperative, which means tax is deducted at a higher rate and refunds are not paid.
A bank account in your own name, so that stipends and pay can be transferred to you.

Tax in brief

Under the new tax regime there is no tax on the first ₹4 lakh of income in a year, and a rebate means no tax is payable on income up to ₹12 lakh. Very few students earn enough from part-time work to owe income tax.
An organisation that pays you may still deduct tax at source (TDS) from freelance or professional fees once they pass a threshold in the year.
If tax was deducted and you owe none, file an income tax return to get it back. This is the main reason for a student to file.

Where openings are advertised

Your college's placement cell, which hears from employers that want its students in particular.
National Career Service (NCS), the Ministry of Labour and Employment's free portal for jobs, job fairs and career counselling.
The AICTE internship portal and the PM Internship Scheme portal, described above.
Internship platforms such as Internshala, which is listed as a partner on the AICTE portal.
Employers' own careers pages. Technology companies, consultancies and start-ups usually post internships on their own sites first.

Timing: e-commerce, delivery and retail firms take on large numbers of temporary staff ahead of the festival season, and advertise from late summer. Summer internships run in the long vacation, and applications for the well-known ones close months earlier.

Finding them without checking every site

Jobofinder can do the looking. Set up one search:

Choose "Internships and placements", or "Any part-time job", or type a job title such as content writer or tutor.
Choose India, and type your city if you want work near you.
Add the careers pages of the companies you would most like to intern with.

New openings reach you every morning and evening with a link. On careers pages that Jobofinder can fill in, it can send your application for you as soon as an internship is posted, which helps when applications close early.

Common questions

Can students work part-time in India?

Indian students who are adults can. We found no law that limits the hours an adult student may work, though your college may have its own rules on attendance. Children under 14 may not be employed, and those aged 14 to 18 may not do hazardous work.

Can foreign students work in India on a Student visa?

A Student visa is granted for full-time study and has no provision for taking a job. An internship that is a required part of your course is allowed. Other internships need a separate Intern visa. Ask the Foreigners Regional Registration Office before accepting any paid work.

Is there a minimum stipend for interns in India?

Not in general. No law sets a minimum stipend for interns, so it is whatever the organisation offers. Apprentices are different: their minimum stipend is set by the government. The PM Internship Scheme pays at least 9,000 rupees a month.

Do students pay income tax on a stipend or part-time pay?

Only if your total income is high enough. Under the new tax regime no tax is payable on income up to 12 lakh rupees in a year, after the rebate. If tax was deducted from a payment to you, file a return to claim it back.

Official sources

Rules and rates change. These pages have the final word, and this guide is general information, not legal, tax or immigration advice.