In a big step towards improving the quality of technical education in India, the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) launched the AICTE Industry Fellowship Programme (AIFP) on June 18, 2025. This unique initiative aims to bridge the gap between academic learning and real-world industry needs by giving engineering and technical faculty members hands-on experience in top industrial environments.
Why the AICTE Industry Fellowship Programme Matters?
For a long time, there has been a clear mismatch between what engineering students learn in classrooms and what industries actually need. This gap often leads to low employability among engineering graduates, even when they have strong theoretical knowledge.
AICTE Chairman Prof. TG Sitharam addressed this issue during the launch, stating,
“We cannot expect our students to be industry-ready if our faculty themselves are not equipped with industry-relevant knowledge.”
Key Problems the Programme Addresses
Low Employability: Many engineering students struggle to get good jobs due to lack of practical skills.
Outdated Teaching Methods: Most curriculums still focus heavily on theory, ignoring real-world applications.
Weak Industry-Academia Ties: There is little interaction between colleges and companies, so faculty often miss out on learning about current trends and technologies.
The AIFP aims to solve these problems by immersing faculty members directly into industrial settings so they can bring updated, practical knowledge back to the classroom.
What Faculty Members Will Gain?
The AICTE Industry Fellowship Programme is designed to offer real benefits to faculty while helping industries tap into academic talent. Here’s what faculty members can expect from the programme:
1. Real-World Skills
Participants will get to work on actual industry projects, which will sharpen their practical skills and problem-solving abilities.
2. Exposure to Modern Technologies
Faculty will learn the latest tools, technologies, and trends being used in various sectors, ensuring they stay updated.
3. Better Teaching Abilities
Hands-on experience will help faculty explain concepts better and design more engaging, industry-relevant lessons.
4. Confidence and Collaboration
Working in real industrial teams will build collaboration and communication skills, and boost overall confidence.
Prof. Sitharam added:
“Faculty members will become active participants in the industrial ecosystem. This is a vital step in creating national resources that are fit for the future.”
Programme Structure and Financial Support
The AIFP will roll out in multiple phases, starting from the academic year 2025-26.
Phase 1 (2025-26)
350 faculty members will be selected from AICTE-approved institutions across India.
These fellows will be placed full-time in industries for 6 to 12 months.
They’ll work on live projects, collaborate with professionals, and experience how industries function on a day-to-day basis.
Future Plans
AICTE aims to expand the programme to 1,500 faculty members annually over the next 3–5 years.
Attractive Financial Package
One of the best parts of the AIFP is the strong financial backing:
Rs 75,000 per month will be provided by AICTE.
Participating industries will contribute at least Rs 25,000 per month.
Faculty will continue to receive their regular salaries from their academic institutions.
This ensures that participants are financially secure while upgrading their skills.
Benefits for the Industry Too
The programme is not just a win for faculty and students, but also for industries. Companies will get:
Access to experienced academic minds for fresh insights.
A chance to shape curriculum development in colleges.
Stronger ties with top technical institutions for future collaborations.
This industry-academia partnership will promote innovation, faster adoption of new technologies, and long-term talent development.
A Step Towards Future-Ready Engineers
With the launch of AIFP, India is taking a bold and timely step to modernize engineering education and make graduates more employable. Faculty members who complete this fellowship will return with practical experience and a fresh perspective on teaching.
This will help produce engineers who are:
Technically strong
Practically skilled
Industry-ready from Day 1
The programme also reflects AICTE’s long-term vision for building a future-ready workforce that can drive innovation and compete globally.
Conclusion
The AICTE Industry Fellowship Programme (AIFP) is a game-changer for Indian technical education. By equipping faculty with industry experience, AICTE is strengthening the entire education ecosystem—from the teachers to the students and, ultimately, to the industries that hire them.
This initiative is more than just a fellowship—it’s a movement towards a smarter, more practical, and globally competitive engineering workforce in India.