DRDL Hyderabad Internship Programme 2026: Branch-Wise Slots, Stipend and Walk-In Interview Details
For any final-year engineering student who has ever dreamed of working on India’s missile programmes, this is as close as it gets. The Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL), Hyderabad — a premier laboratory of DRDO — has released notification DRDL/HRD/INTERNSHIP/2026/01 offering 165 paid internship slots across four branch codes. Selected students receive a stipend of ₹5,000 per month for a 6-month internship at Kanchanbagh, Hyderabad. The notification does not state any application fee. If you follow defence sector opportunities, do not let this one pass.
The last date to apply is 16 August 2026, and the internship is expected to begin on 1 September 2026. One thing to understand right away — this is not an online application. You fill the printed form attached to the notification, get a mandatory request letter from your Principal or Director, email the scanned copy, and then attend a walk-in interview at DRDL. Below we explain the branch-wise slots, the 60% academic bar, the stipend conditions and the complete offline application route. Keep GovtJobsAlert.in handy while you prepare your file.
Key Highlights — DRDO DRDL Hyderabad Paid Internship 2026
DRDL is the DRDO laboratory responsible for the design and development of India’s guided missile systems. An internship here places you inside live defence research work at DRDL, ASL and CAS, Hyderabad, with a completion certificate at the end. For a student CV, few six-month projects carry this kind of weight. Any engineering student in their final year should read the eligibility below carefully.
- Programme: DRDL Paid Internship Scheme 2026
- Total Slots: 165 internship slots (indicative — may increase or decrease at DRDL’s discretion)
- Stipend: ₹5,000 per month
- Duration: 06 months (approximately September 2026 to February 2027)
- Location: DRDL / ASL / CAS, Kanchanbagh, Hyderabad, Telangana
- Application Mode: Offline — email plus walk-in interview
- Last Date to Apply: 16 August 2026
DRDO DRDL Internship 2026 Vacancy List: How Many Slots in Each Branch Code?
| Branch Code | Disciplines Covered | Slots |
|---|---|---|
| EE | Electronics, ECE, E&I, Electrical | 58 |
| ME | Mechanical, Chemical, Aerospace, Production, Material, Safety, Textile | 87 |
| PH | Mathematics and allied science | 5 |
| CS | Computer Science, AI, Cyber Security & allied | 15 |
| Total | — | 165 |
The ME branch code carries the largest share at 87 slots, so mechanical and allied-discipline students have the widest opening here. Note your branch code carefully — you must write it on the envelope you submit at the registration desk. Plan the trip yourself: no boarding or lodging expenses are payable, and the notification advises being ready to stay a day or more if a large number of candidates turn up.
Who is Eligible for DRDO DRDL Hyderabad Internship 2026?
Educational Qualification
- Pursuing final year of an undergraduate Engineering course, or
- Pursuing final year of a postgraduate course in Engineering or Physical Science.
- The course must be full time, in the respective discipline, from a recognised Indian University or institute approved by AICTE or UGC.
- As per the college request letter format attached to the notification, the scheme is meant for VII / VIII semester graduate engineering students, or I / II year postgraduate Engineering and Physical Science students.
Academic Criteria
You need a good academic track record with a minimum of 60% marks or equivalent CGPA in the course you are currently pursuing. Where your institute awards CGPA, it must be converted to a percentage using the average of completed semesters or years.
There is also a mandatory referral requirement: the Principal or Director of your institution must issue a request letter recommending you, and the notification specifies this is meant for highly deserving meritorious students only. Without this letter your application is incomplete.
Age Limit
Candidates must be below 28 years of age. The notification prints only this upper age limit — it does not state any minimum age, does not publish any age-relaxation table, and does not state a cut-off date against which age is reckoned.
🎂 Not sure if you meet the age criteria? Use our free Age Calculator for Government Exams to find your exact age on the cut-off date and instantly check your eligibility — including SC / ST / OBC / PwBD age relaxation. →
What is the Salary and Stipend for DRDO DRDL Internship 2026?
The notification is refreshingly clear about the money, and it comes with conditions you must know before joining.
- Monthly Stipend: ₹5,000 per month, the same for all four branch codes (EE, ME, PH and CS).
- Payment is made in two instalments, with the first instalment paid after 03 months of training.
- The stipend is transferred directly to the student’s bank account after completion of three months.
The notification makes both the stipend and retention of the internship conditional on good performance and on completing a minimum of 15 working days per month of physical attendance at DRDL, ASL or CAS. Separately, no payment is made if you do not complete a minimum tenure of 03 months.
A completion certificate is awarded only after you finish the full 06 months and clear the evaluation of your project work, submit your project report and complete the other formalities. If you leave the programme part-way, no completion certificate is issued. Since this is a training programme, remember that an internship does not create any claim to employment at DRDO.
What is the Selection Process for DRDO DRDL Internship 2026?
Stage 1: Application Screening
DRDL screens applications on your academic track record, applying the minimum 60% marks or equivalent CGPA bar. The mandatory Principal or Director request letter is checked at this point.
Stage 2: Walk-In Interview
Shortlisted candidates attend a walk-in interview at DRDL, Hyderabad. The notification says eligible candidates may be shortlisted on the basis of the interaction or interview and on the basis of percentage of marks, with CGPA converted to percentage using the average of completed semesters or years. The notification states selection is entirely merit-based, and no communication is sent to rejected candidates — so do not wait for a rejection email.
Stage 3: Character and Police Verification
Shortlisted students must bring a Character Certificate from their college and a police verification certificate. The notification lists both documents as requirements for shortlisted candidates.
Stage 4: Document Verification and Joining Formalities
At joining you must produce an NOC from your college, the police verification acknowledgement, signed undertakings, an indemnity bond filled by you and by the head of your institution, plus your Aadhaar card and college ID in original. You must also submit a medical fitness certificate issued by an authorised medical practitioner holding at least an MBBS degree, all previous semester marksheets in original, and 03 passport-size photographs.
How to Apply for DRDO DRDL Paid Internship 2026?
This application is offline, so plan your timeline backwards from 16 August 2026 — you need your Principal’s signature, and that can take days.
- Download the notification PDF and print the annexed “Format for Application for DRDL Paid Internship Scheme” (link in Essential Links below).
- Fill the form completely and affix a passport-size photograph on it.
- Get the mandatory request letter from your Principal or Director on college letterhead with the office seal, addressed to The Director, DRDL, Defence R&D Organisation, P.O. Kanchanbagh, Hyderabad, Telangana – 500058.
- Scan the completed application together with the college request letter.
- Email the scanned application to the official internship email address drdlintern2026@gmail.com on or before 16 August 2026.
- Attend the walk-in interview at DRDL, Hyderabad on the intimated date.
- Carry the hard copy in an envelope marked “Application for Paid Internship” along with your branch code, and submit it at the registration desk.
What are the Important Dates for DRDO DRDL Internship 2026?
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Last Date to Submit Application | 16 August 2026 |
| Intimation to Selected Candidates | 23 August 2026 |
| Internship Start Date | 1 September 2026 |
| Internship End Date | 28 February 2027 |
The notification’s own dates table is headed “Closing date (Tentative dates)” and covers only the first three rows — the 28 February 2027 end date comes from the annexed college request letter. Treat all of them as tentative and keep checking the DRDO website for confirmation.
Is There Any Application Fee for DRDO DRDL Internship 2026?
| Category | Fee |
|---|---|
| All Categories | No fee stated in the notification |
The notification does not mention any application fee anywhere across its six pages. Since this is an offline, email-based application, there is no payment gateway step at all.
Essential Links — DRDO DRDL Hyderabad Internship 2026
- Download Official Notification PDF with Application Form
- Visit DRDO Official Website
- Join WhatsApp Channel for Government Jobs
- Join Telegram Channel for Government Jobs
- Join Telegram for Telangana Govt Jobs
Six months inside a DRDO missile laboratory, with a stipend and a completion certificate, is an experience that will sit at the top of your CV for years. The paperwork takes time though — your Principal’s request letter is mandatory and cannot be arranged overnight. Start today so your email goes out well before 16 August 2026. Keep visiting GovtJobsAlert.in for more defence and DRDO opportunities and every new internship notification.