AICTE PhD Fellowship To Support 150 Scholars With Rs 245 Crore Outlay
AICTE backs 150 PhD scholars with innovation-focused research funding.
The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has launched a new doctoral fellowship programme aimed at encouraging research that can translate into practical innovations, entrepreneurship and solutions to real-world challenges. AICTE Chairman Professor Yogesh Singh and Member Secretary Professor Shyama Rath launched the AICTE Innovation and Entrepreneurship Doctoral Fellowship Programme (AIEDFP) on Thursday. The initiative carries a proposed financial outlay of Rs 245 crore over five years and is expected to support 150 PhD fellowships.
The programme seeks to move doctoral research beyond purely academic outcomes by encouraging scholars to work on ideas with potential for practical application and societal impact. Its focus areas include innovation, entrepreneurship, technology transfer and commercialisation, with researchers encouraged to develop solutions that can address pressing challenges. The fellowship is intended to strengthen the connection between research institutions, industry and wider society.
Under AIEDFP, selected scholars will be eligible for financial support for a maximum period of five years, subject to prescribed eligibility requirements and satisfactory academic and research progress. Fellows will receive a monthly fellowship of Rs 60,000 during the first three years, along with applicable House Rent Allowance. The financial support will increase to Rs 70,000 per month, plus applicable HRA, during the fourth and fifth years.
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In addition to the monthly fellowship, each selected scholar will be eligible for an Innovation Grant of up to Rs 10 lakh. The grant can support activities directly connected with research and innovation, including prototype development, testing, validation and field trials. It can also be used for travel associated with the research, providing scholars with additional resources to develop and assess their ideas beyond the laboratory or academic setting.
AIEDFP places particular emphasis on converting doctoral research into implementable solutions with potential applications outside academia. By encouraging researchers to consider innovation and entrepreneurship alongside academic work, the programme aims to create greater opportunities for promising ideas to reach the market or communities that can benefit from them. The initiative also seeks to strengthen technology transfer and commercialisation pathways for research outcomes.
Through the five-year programme, AICTE aims to support an ecosystem in which doctoral scholars can develop research with measurable practical and societal impact. The fellowship combines financial assistance with dedicated innovation support, potentially enabling researchers to test and refine solutions to real-world problems. AICTE expects the initiative to contribute to a stronger research and innovation ecosystem and support India’s broader transition towards a knowledge-driven and innovation-led economy.
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