Visvesvaraya PhD Scheme for Electronics and IT: Part Time PhD Candidates
₹3,00,000 one-time incentive · part-time Ph.D. completion · electronics & IT
The Visvesvaraya PhD Scheme for Part Time PhD Candidates, implemented by the Ministry of Electronics and IT's Digital India Corporation, supports 150 working professionals pursuing a part-time PhD in ESDM and IT/ITES research areas. Candidates receive a one-time incentive of ₹3 lakh upon completing their PhD degree. Contact eligible institutions directly to learn about seat availability and the admission process.
About This Scheme
The Visvesvaraya PhD Scheme for Part Time PhD Candidates, implemented by the Ministry of Electronics and IT's Digital India Corporation, supports 150 working professionals pursuing a part-time PhD in ESDM and IT/ITES research areas. Candidates receive a one-time incentive of ₹3 lakh upon completing their PhD degree. Contact eligible institutions directly to learn about seat availability and the admission process.
Full official description
The “Part Time PhD Candidate” is a component of the scheme “Visvesvaraya PhD Scheme for Electronics and IT”, implemented by the Digital India Corporation under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India. The scheme aims at generating a total of 150 Part-time PhDs in emerging research areas of Electronics System Design & Manufacturing (ESDM) and IT/IT Enabled Services (IT/ITES) sectors over a period of 5 years. Objectives:
- To enhance the number of PhDs in Electronics System Design & Manufacturing (ESDM) and IT/IT Enabled Services (IT/ITES) sectors in the country.
- Give thrust to R&D, create an innovative ecosystem and enhance India’s competitiveness in these knowledge intensive sectors.
Part-Time PhD seats are provisioned for professionals working at a reputed place/organisation. The seats are allotted to the institutions based on the assessment of the proposals of the institute, research strength, and the working places of the prospective applicants.
Benefits
- One-time incentive payment of ₹3 lakh upon successful PhD completion and degree reporting
💡 Why Startups Should Care
If your electronics or IT startup has engineers who want to pursue Ph.D.s while working, this scheme offers a ₹3 lakh completion bonus — a meaningful incentive to retain senior technical talent pursuing advanced research alongside their job.
Who Can Apply (Eligibility)
- Must be a working professional employed at a reputed organization (part-time PhD track)
- Must not be receiving any other PhD fellowship or scholarship from any Central or State Government scheme
- Institutions apply for seat allocations through phd.dic.gov.in; candidates then apply through their enrolled institution
- Research must be in ESDM or IT/ITES areas
How to Apply
- This is an institutional scheme — eligible institutions apply for Part-time PhD seat allocations through Calls for Proposals by Visvesvaraya PhD Scheme, DIC, MeitY.
- Working professionals join through their institution once seats are allocated.
- The ₹3 lakh incentive is paid to the institution and transferred to the candidate upon PhD completion with full documentation submitted to the PhD Cell.
Check phd.dic.gov.in for active calls.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main objective of the scheme?
The objective is to increase the number of PhDs in ESDM and IT/ITES, encourage R&D, strengthen the innovation ecosystem, and enhance India’s global competitiveness in these sectors.
How many Part-Time PhD candidates will be supported under the scheme?
A total of 150 part-time PhDs will be supported over 5 years.
Who is eligible to apply as a Part-Time PhD candidate?
Visvesvaraya PhD Scheme is an institutional scheme wherein eligible institutions submit proposals requesting Part-time PhD seats against an active call for proposal by Visvesvaraya PhD Scheme, DIC, MeitY.
- Part-time PhD seats are provisioned for professionals working at a reputed places/organizations.
- The selected candidates should not be availing any PhD Fellowship/scholarship from any other scheme of Central or State Government.
Are candidates already availing other government fellowships eligible?
No, candidates availing any fellowship/scholarship from Central or State government schemes are not eligible.
How are Part-Time PhD seats allocated to institutions?
- The call for proposal for Part-time PhD seats is notified by PhD Cell, DIC; MeitY through the web portal https://phd.dic.gov.in/
- Proposals for allotment of Part-time PhD seats are to be submitted by eligible institutions only. Suitable number of seats are allotted to institutions for further enrollment of Part-time PhD fellows on these seats following the scheme guidelines.
Which institutions are eligible to participate in the scheme?
Please refer to https://phd.dic.gov.in/eligibility for eligibility of institutions.
What financial support do Part-Time PhD candidates receive?
They receive a one-time incentive of ₹3,00,000 upon successful completion of their PhD degree and submission of completion documents to PhD Cell, DIC.
Is the incentive given during the course of study?
No, the incentive is disbursed only after successful completion of the PhD.
Who disburses the incentive amount?
The PhD Cell at Digital India Corporation (DIC), MeitY, disburses the incentive.
On what grounds can support be terminated?
Support can be terminated due to lack of progress, violation/non-compliance of scheme guidelines, or any other reason deemed appropriate by the PhD Cell, DIC.
Ready to apply?
Visit the official government portal to apply for this scheme.
Apply on myScheme.gov.inDocuments Required
- Institutional proposal (submitted by institution)
- Student enrollment and employment proof
- Ph.D. completion documents (for claiming the ₹3L incentive)