DRDO RCI Apprenticeship 2027: 195 Graduate, Diploma and ITI Seats in Hyderabad
Research Centre Imarat (RCI), a DRDO laboratory within the Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Missile Complex, has invited online applications from Indian nationals for its 2027 apprenticeship programme. The advertisement lists 195 places across Graduate, Technician (Diploma) and ITI Trade Apprentice categories. Training lasts one year and is based at Vignyana Kancha, Hyderabad, Telangana.
This is an apprenticeship engagement, not a permanent government appointment. The opportunity covers several engineering branches and ITI trades, including computer science, electronics, mechanical engineering, Electrician and COPA. Applicants must meet the specific qualification, marks, passing-year and experience restrictions before applying through the appropriate government apprenticeship portal.
Programme at a glance
| Detail | Verified information |
|---|---|
| Organisation | Research Centre Imarat (RCI), DRDO |
| Programme | Graduate, Technician (Diploma) and ITI Trade Apprentices for 2027 |
| Advertisement | RCI/HRD/Apprenticeship/Advt/2027 |
| Seats | 195: 50 Graduate, 30 Diploma and 115 ITI Trade; numbers may vary |
| Location and duration | Hyderabad, Telangana; one year |
| Stipend | As per government norms, referring to the Gazette dated 3 September 2025; no rupee amount is stated |
| Official page dates | Published/start: 1 October 2026; end date: 1 November 2026 |
| PDF deadline rule | 30 days from publication of the advertisement in a newspaper |
Vacancies and eligible disciplines
Graduate Apprentices: 50 seats. The notified qualification is BE/BTech in ECE, Instrumentation Engineering, EEE, CSE, Mechanical, Chemical, Metallurgical, Safety, Aeronautical, Aerospace or Civil Engineering. An engineering degree in an unlisted branch should not be assumed eligible.
Technician Apprentices: 30 seats. Diploma disciplines are ECE, Instrumentation Engineering, EEE, CSE, Mechanical, Chemical, Metallurgical and Safety Engineering. The diploma list is narrower than the graduate list; candidates should use the category corresponding to their qualification.
ITI Trade Apprentices: 115 seats. The table specifies NCVT/SCVT-affiliated ITI qualifications in Fitter, Welder, Turner, Machinist, Mechanic-Diesel, Electronic-Mechanic, Electrician, COPA (Computer Operator Programming Assistant), Draughtsman Engineering (Mechanical) and Grinder. The notice gives category totals rather than a separate seat allocation for each branch or trade.
All qualifications must be from Indian institutions recognised by the appropriate statutory authority. The advertised vacancies may change. The notice describes apprenticeship training but does not provide a detailed daily duty list, workweek or remote-work arrangement; this should not be promoted as a work-from-home internship.
Eligibility and important exclusions
- Applicants must be Indian nationals and at least 18 years old as on 1 September 2026.
- Only regular candidates who passed the relevant Graduate, Diploma or ITI qualifying examination in 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 or 2026 are eligible.
- The qualifying result must meet the stated threshold of 70% or CGPA 7.5 and above.
- Candidates with higher qualifications are explicitly not eligible under the notice.
- Candidates who have already completed, or are currently undergoing, apprenticeship training under any organisation are not eligible.
- Candidates with more than one year of work experience are not eligible.
The advertisement does not state a general upper-age limit. Do not apply another recruitment's age ceiling to this programme. Reservation for SC, ST, OBC, PWD and EWS categories follows the cited apprenticeship legislation and rules. Applicants should check their documents against the notice rather than assume an unstated marks relaxation.
Stipend and training conditions
RCI states that the stipend follows government norms and refers to the Gazette dated 3 September 2025. The advertisement does not print a numeric monthly amount, so a specific stipend figure should not be treated as an advertised guarantee.
Graduate and Technician Apprentices must have an Aadhaar-seeded bank account to receive 50% of their stipend from the Board of Apprenticeship and Training through Direct Benefit Transfer. An Aadhaar-linked bank account is also included in the document requirements.
No TA/DA is paid for selection stages. Hostel accommodation, quarters and transport are not provided for the interview or apprenticeship period. Selected candidates must execute an apprenticeship contract through the respective portal before training begins. RCI has no obligation to employ apprentices after completion, and withdrawal from training is restricted except for circumstances beyond the candidate's control.
How to apply through NATS or NAPS
- BE/BTech and Diploma candidates: registration on NATS 2.0 is mandatory. Log in and select Research Centre Imarat, DRDO, using enrolment ID STLRAC000010 to apply for the appropriate opportunity.
- ITI candidates: register and log in to the apprenticeship portal. Open Apprenticeship Opportunities, search the establishment name RESEARCH CENTRE IMARAT, DRDO, or establishment ID E05203600040, choose the relevant trade and click Apply.
- Check the category, qualification, year, marks and supporting information before submission. Portal registration should not be confused with applying to RCI's specific opportunity.
- Keep the submitted application and NATS/NAPS profile printout. Maintain the email address used in the application and check it regularly for shortlisting communications.
Deadline: read both official statements
The official DRDO RCI vacancy page lists 1 October 2026 as the published/start date and 1 November 2026 as the end date. The linked PDF separately says online applications close 30 days from newspaper publication.
The newspaper publication date and an exact portal closing time have not been independently confirmed here. Do not treat the website end date as a verified portal cutoff or calculate a different deadline from the upload date. Check the applicable portal and official updates, and apply promptly. The PDF does not state an application fee; this is not evidence for a guaranteed fee-free claim.
Selection, documents and joining
Selection is through academic merit and/or interview as required, subject to satisfactory document verification. Shortlisted applicants will be informed by email. The advertisement does not give a fixed interview date or joining date.
Shortlisted candidates must bring originals and self-attested copies of the filled application, NATS/NAPS profile, Class 10 marksheet and certificate, qualifying final/consolidated marksheet, qualifying original/provisional certificate, applicable caste/PWD/EWS certificates, government photo ID, mandatory Aadhaar, Aadhaar-seeded bank passbook or statement, medical fitness certificate from a Government Civil Assistant Surgeon, and two recent passport photographs.
At joining, selected candidates must provide a valid Police Verification Certificate from their last place of residence for at least the previous year or their permanent address. Any qualification mismatch or suppressed fact can lead to rejection. Read the complete official advertisement for all conditions. The contact email printed in the notice is hrd.apply@gov.in; applications follow the specified portals, not an assumed email submission route.
