Internshala’s 2024 report reveals 25% growth in internships, 135% rise since 2020

Internshala's Annual Internship Trends Report for 2024 reveals that internship opportunities in India have increased by 25% compared to the previous year.

The company's data shows a 135% rise in internship openings over the past five years, since 2020.

The top fields for internships include management (42%), engineering (20%), media (13%), education (4%), design (4%), and others (16%).

Management internships accounted for 42% of the total, making it the most popular field.

These positions included roles in human resource management, operations, digital marketing, sales, marketing, and finance. Engineering, with 20% of available internships, offered opportunities in product management, software development, web development, and technical specialties such as mechanical, electrical, and civil engineering.

Media accounted for 13% of internships, including roles in journalism, public relations, creative writing, videography, and other fields.

Education and design each made up 4%, offering positions in teaching, subject matter expertise, online tutoring, graphic design, UI/UX design, and animation.

These sectors are expected to remain dominant in 2025, with further growth anticipated in emerging fields like blockchain development, sustainability, artificial intelligence (AI), and green technologies.

It's noteworthy that 66% of companies are open to hiring women returning to the workforce, highlighting the increasing focus on inclusion in 2024.

Additionally, 49% of internships were offered as work-from-home positions, reflecting the hybrid work model favored by both businesses and students.

Urban areas accounted for the majority of internships, with Delhi-NCR at 31%, Mumbai at 17%, and Bangalore at 11%.

However, the rising popularity of remote internships has started to decentralize opportunities, making high-quality positions accessible to students from tier-2 and tier-3 cities.

In 2024, the average monthly stipend for internships was Rs 8,000, with the highest stipend reaching an impressive Rs 1 lakh.

Furthermore, 22% of internships offered pre-placement offers (PPOs), underscoring the role of internships as stepping stones to full-time employment.

Among the top 10 most sought-after skills for internships in 2024 (from over 500 skills), proficiency in spoken and written English was required for 15% of internships.

MS Excel, social media marketing, and digital marketing were each required for 4% of internships.

Effective communication and creative writing were required for 3%, while Adobe Photoshop, search engine optimization (SEO), and email marketing were required for 2% each.

In the management field, the most in-demand skills included Microsoft Excel, digital marketing, SEO, Microsoft Office, email marketing, social media marketing, sales, content marketing, and SEO. Engineering internships sought skills in JavaScript, HTML, CSS, ReactJS, Node.js, REST API, MySQL, PHP, AutoCAD, Java, MongoDB, machine learning, Android, Flutter, and C++ programming.

In the media industry, creative writing, editing, blogging, copywriting, and animation were highly sought after.

In the design field, skills in Adobe Photoshop, video editing, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Premiere Pro, Canva, video production, Adobe After Effects, UI/UX design, CorelDRAW, Adobe Creative Suite, Figma, Adobe InDesign, Final Cut Pro, and Adobe Photoshop Lightroom CC were most in demand.

Internships in 2024 had an average duration of 3.7 months, ranging from one to six months.

This flexibility allows students to integrate internships into their academic schedules while gaining valuable work experience.

Some in-office positions also offered hybrid models or part-time work, depending on students' availability and college schedules.