DRDO DG (Aero) Internship 2026 Notification: Stipend, Eligibility & Lab-Wise Vacancies
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), under its Director General (Aeronautical Systems), has opened a fantastic chance for final-year engineering students. A total of 200 Paid Intern positions are available across five top aero labs — ADE, ADRDE, CABS, CEMILAC and GTRE. This is a 6-month internship with a total stipend of Rs 30,000. If you dream of working on India’s fighter jets, UAVs and aero-engines, this is the doorway. Check all engineering government jobs on GovtJobsAlert.in for more such openings.
Applications open on 26 May 2026 and close on 5 June 2026. There is no online portal — you apply by sending your filled form and documents to the respective lab’s email mentioned in the official notification. Final-year UG and PG students in Engineering or Science streams with a minimum 6.5 CGPA are eligible. Read this article carefully so you know which lab matches your branch, what documents to attach, and how to send a perfect application. Stay with GovtJobsAlert.in for every step.
Key Highlights — DRDO DG (Aero) Paid Internship 2026
DRDO is India’s premier defence R&D body, and its Aeronautical Systems cluster runs five elite labs that design fighter aircraft, airborne early-warning systems, aero-engines and parachute systems. This paid internship is a rare hands-on chance for students to work directly under DRDO scientists during their final semester.
- Post Names: Paid Intern at ADE Bangalore, ADRDE Agra, CABS Bangalore, CEMILAC + RCMAs, GTRE Bangalore
- Total Vacancies: 200 paid intern positions
- Stipend: Rs 30,000 total (Rs 15,000 after 3 months + Rs 15,000 after 6 months)
- Duration: 6 months
- Job Location: Bangalore, Agra, and RCMA stations (Nasik, Hyderabad, Lucknow, Chandigarh, Kanpur, Pune)
- Last Date to Apply: 5 June 2026
Vacancy Breakdown — DRDO Aero Labs Internship 2026
The 200 intern slots are split across the five labs as shown below. Each lab has its own discipline mix — pick the one that matches your branch and location.
| Lab | Location | Vacancies |
|---|---|---|
| ADE | Bangalore | 69 |
| ADRDE | Agra | 20 |
| CABS | Bangalore | 60 |
| CEMILAC + RCMAs | Bangalore + 6 cities | 20 |
| GTRE | Bangalore | 31 |
Discipline-wise breakdown for each lab:
| Lab | Top Disciplines | Slots |
|---|---|---|
| ADE | CSE/IT | 21 |
| ADE | Mechanical | 15 |
| ADE | ECE | 15 |
| ADE | Aeronautical | 12 |
| CABS | CSE/IT | 25 |
| CABS | ECE | 20 |
| CABS | EEE | 10 |
| GTRE | Mechanical | 10 |
| GTRE | Aeronautical | 9 |
| ADRDE | Mechanical | 6 |
| ADRDE | CSE/IT, ECE | 4 each |
| CEMILAC | EEE | 5 |
For the complete lab-and-branch matrix including small-count disciplines like Instrumentation, Metallurgy, Chemical, Data Science and Textile/Polymer Science, please check the official notification PDF (link in Essential Links below).
Eligibility Criteria — DRDO DG (Aero) Internship 2026
This internship is built specifically for current students, so the eligibility rules are very different from a regular recruitment. Read each line carefully.
Educational Qualification
- Candidate must be a final-year student of an Undergraduate (UG) or Post Graduate (PG) programme
- Stream: Engineering or Science
- Minimum 6.5 CGPA (out of 10) is mandatory
- For UG: Sem 6 marksheet is mandatory at the time of applying
- For PG: Sem 2 marksheet is mandatory at the time of applying
- Candidate must be able to register for the full 6 months of internship
- Only Indian Nationals are eligible
Eligible branches include: Computer Science / IT, Aeronautical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical / EEE, Electronics & Communication (ECE), Instrumentation, Metallurgy, Material Science, Chemical Engineering, Data Science, Textile / Polymer Science, and Defence Technologies. If you are an engineering graduate aspirant currently in your final year, this is the perfect launchpad.
Age Limit
There is NO age limit for this internship. Eligibility is based on academic status only — you must be a final-year UG/PG student at the time of applying. This is unusual for government openings, so don’t worry about your birth year.
College Permission
A No-Objection / Permission letter from your college is mandatory. Get it ready before applying, because the application is incomplete without it.
What is the Stipend for DRDO DG (Aero) Internship 2026?
The stipend structure is simple and uniform across all five labs. There is no Pay Commission scale here — it is a fixed total amount for the 6-month duration.
- Total Stipend: Rs 30,000 for the full 6-month internship
- First instalment: Rs 15,000 payable after completion of 3 months
- Second instalment: Rs 15,000 payable after completion of 6 months
- No HRA, DA or TA — this is an internship, not employment
- No additional benefits like medical reimbursement or LTC
The total stipend is Rs 30,000 for 6 months, paid in two equal instalments of Rs 15,000 each. Treat this as practical exposure, not a salary — the real value is the DRDO experience on your CV.
The bigger gain is the certificate from DRDO and the chance to work on live defence projects under DRDO scientists. This experience often opens doors to DRDO Scientist ‘B’ recruitment via GATE, CEPTAM exams, and PSU placements later.
What is the Selection Process for DRDO DG (Aero) Internship 2026?
There is no written exam or interview-driven hiring. Selection is purely shortlisting-based by each lab. The stages are:
- Application submission via email to the respective lab as per the official notification
- Shortlisting by the lab based on academic merit (CGPA), branch fit and available vacancies
- Offer letter issued by the selected lab via email
- Document verification at the time of joining
- Police verification before joining is mandatory
What does shortlisting consider?
Labs typically prefer candidates with higher CGPA, a strong branch match to the lab’s discipline need, and a clean academic record. For example, an Aeronautical Engineering student with 8+ CGPA stands a better chance at GTRE (which works on aero-engines) or ADE (which works on UAVs). For exam-style preparation patterns, see the syllabus and exam pattern hub on GovtJobsAlert.in.
Police verification
Because DRDO is a defence organisation, police verification is a mandatory pre-joining step. Keep your address proofs, Aadhaar and basic ID documents ready well in advance.
How to Apply for DRDO DG (Aero) Internship 2026?
There is no online application portal for this internship — applications go directly via email to the lab you are applying to. Keep these documents ready in PDF format before you start:
- Filled application form (download from DRDO website)
- College permission letter (No-Objection from your institute)
- Updated Resume
- Marksheets up to Sem 6 (for UG candidates)
- Marksheets of Sem 1 and Sem 2 (for PG candidates)
- Aadhaar card copy
- Passport-size photograph
Follow these steps to apply correctly:
- Visit the DRDO official website (link in Essential Links below) and locate the DG (Aero) Paid Internship 2026 notification
- Download the application format and the instructions sheet
- Read the notification fully and identify the lab you want to apply to along with its official email ID
- Fill the application form neatly, attach your photograph and sign it
- Get the college permission letter signed by your HOD or Principal
- Combine the form, permission letter, resume, marksheets and Aadhaar copy into a single PDF (or send as multiple PDFs)
- Email the application to the respective lab’s email address mentioned in the notification on or before 5 June 2026
- Save a copy of the sent email and PDFs for your record
Important Dates — DRDO DG (Aero) Internship 2026
Mark these two dates on your calendar. The window is short — only 11 days — so do not delay.
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Application Start Date | 26 May 2026 |
| Application Last Date | 5 June 2026 |
| Shortlisting | After 5 June 2026 |
| Internship Duration | 6 months from joining |
Application Fees — DRDO DG (Aero) Internship 2026
There is no application fee for any category in this internship — neither for General nor for reserved categories. The whole process is completely free.
| Category | Fee |
|---|---|
| General | No Fee |
| OBC | No Fee |
| SC / ST | No Fee |
| EWS | No Fee |
| PwBD | No Fee |
| Female Candidates | No Fee |
Since there is no fee, there is also no payment mode to worry about. Just send a complete, well-organised email with all PDFs attached.
Essential Links — DRDO DG (Aero) Paid Internship 2026
- Download Official Notification PDF
- Apply for DRDO DG (Aero) Paid Internship 2026 (see DRDO website link in Essential Links — email application to respective lab)
- Visit DRDO Official Website
- Join WhatsApp Channel for Government Jobs
- Join Telegram Channel for Government Jobs
This is a real chance to add DRDO to your CV before you even graduate — a credential that PSU and defence recruiters genuinely respect. The application window closes on 5 June 2026, so don’t wait till the last day. Prepare your college permission letter, polish your resume, and email a clean application this week. For more research and engineering internship opportunities, keep visiting GovtJobsAlert.in.