341 IIT and NIT students joined NHAI internships as pay floor hits Rs 1 lakh a month
By TUF News Desk · Published 31 October 2026 · 4 min read
Fact-checked against 2+ independent sources · Editorial policy
Fifty-nine students from IITs and 282 from NITs were among the 549 students picked for the National Highways Authority of India summer internship in 2026. Of those selected, 423 were placed across 125 public sector undertakings and 51 verticals at NHAI headquarters, according to a Careers360 report published on October 31.
A Rs 1 lakh floor for young engineers
The same report carries a pay rule that will matter to civil engineering graduates weighing consultancy work. NHAI has mandated a minimum monthly remuneration of Rs 1 lakh for young civil engineers and fresh graduates engaged as young professionals on supervision consultancy projects. For senior roles such as team leader and bridge or structural engineer, the authority offered Rs 5 lakh a month.
The authority also recruits around 50 engineering professionals each year through the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE). In 2026 alone, 30 IIT graduates qualified for deputy manager (Technical) posts, which are Group A positions. The pattern points to infrastructure work becoming a steadier career option for graduates of the top engineering schools, alongside the private sector roles that usually dominate placement season.
V Ramgopal Rao, group vice chancellor of BITS Pilani campuses and former director of Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, told Careers360 that consultancy assignments give 16 to 25 marks out of 100 for the educational qualifications of key personnel, with 25 to 50 per cent extra weight for graduates of IITs, NITs and other prestigious colleges. Knowledge of software is also sought, he said.
Winter and term internships: 1,083 seats
Beyond the summer programme, NHAI runs two longer formats. The winter internship runs for one month, from December 2026 to January 2027, with 541 seats. The term internship runs for six months, from January to June 2027, with 542 seats. Together, the two programmes offer 1,083 places across 125 ongoing national highway projects.
Selected interns receive Rs 20,000 a month and a certificate on successful completion. Of the total seats, 100 are reserved for IIT students and 150 for NIT students. The programmes are open to pre-final and final-year undergraduate and postgraduate students in full-time courses at recognised institutions in India and abroad. Eligible streams include civil, electrical, electronics and instrumentation engineering, information technology, computer science, data science and artificial intelligence, law, journalism, human resources and management.
How to apply, and one date to double-check
Students apply through the official NHAI internship portal, where they submit their academic details and project preferences and their institutes verify and recommend the applications. The original August notice from the Press Information Bureau put the student deadline at October 20, 2026, with institute recommendations due by November 10. Careers360’s October 31 report describes the winter and term windows as open, so applicants should check the portal itself for the current status before assuming a deadline has passed or been extended.
For the winter programme, Careers360 reports that 31,884 students submitted profiles, 7,271 submitted project preferences, and 2,818 applications were recommended by the concerned authorities. For the term programme, the corresponding figures were 31,882 profiles, 4,605 preferences and 1,296 institute recommendations.
Frequently asked questions
How many IIT and NIT students joined the NHAI summer internship in 2026?
59 students from IITs and 282 from NITs were among the 549 students selected for the summer programme, of whom 423 were placed across 125 public sector undertakings and 51 verticals at NHAI headquarters.
What is the NHAI winter internship stipend?
Selected interns receive Rs 20,000 a month plus a certificate on completion, under the NHAI internship policy.
What is the Rs 1 lakh monthly pay floor announced by NHAI?
NHAI has mandated a minimum monthly remuneration of Rs 1 lakh for young civil engineers and fresh graduates engaged as young professionals on supervision consultancy projects.
Where do students apply for NHAI internships?
Through the official NHAI internship portal, where students submit their profiles and preferences and their institutes verify and recommend applications. The Press Information Bureau notice on the programme is also available through the official PIB release.
Frequently asked questions
How many IIT and NIT students joined the NHAI summer internship in 2026?
59 students from IITs and 282 from NITs were among the 549 students selected for the summer programme, of whom 423 were placed across 125 public sector undertakings and 51 verticals at NHAI headquarters.
What is the NHAI winter internship stipend?
Selected interns receive Rs 20,000 a month plus a certificate on completion, under the NHAI internship policy.
What is the Rs 1 lakh monthly pay floor announced by NHAI?
NHAI has mandated a minimum monthly remuneration of Rs 1 lakh for young civil engineers and fresh graduates engaged as young professionals on supervision consultancy projects.
Where do students apply for NHAI internships?
Through the official NHAI internship portal, where students submit their profiles and preferences and their institutes verify and recommend applications.
Sources: Careers360, Press Information Bureau