Internships are a crucial part of every student's career, they are the stepping stone one has to use to understand their place in the corporate world. Internships allow students to explore their interests, work styles, and capabilities while also understanding how the industry of their choice works. You also get to put to use the skills you've learned over the past few years regarding your subject/ field of study and gain real-time experience.

International internships are one of the best ways for Indian students to add more weight to their resumes while providing them with global exposure and equipping them with cutting-edge skills required for them to survive in today's competitive job market in India. 

In this article, we are going to explore a few of the Best Paid Internships Abroad for Indian Students. Most of these internships are fully funded and also provide a stipend to the students going for the internship. 

Types of Internships Abroad for Indian Students

There is a variety of international internships available to Indian students, to enhance their practical skills, strengthen their capabilities, and introduce them to different international work cultures. 

1. International Internships for Credit: Many colleges and universities work with an organization that provides internship opportunities and simultaneously gives credit toward your degree. These internships meet both the academic requirements and the practical experience that students are expected to demonstrate in and through these opportunities. To get these academic credits, students have to either make a presentation or write a report regarding experience and learning. 

2. Summer Internships Abroad: It is ideal for a student who just wants to get started and virtually test out their area of emphasis. These internships often last from a few weeks to the entire summer.. Some of the internships that you might opt for may pay you, some may not. These placements will help you to learn and upskill in your area of focus.

3. Nonprofit Internships: Any student from India interested in social work or community service can take advantage of this opportunity. They bring very important skills along and bring important skills that improve community development with their involvement in charities, schools, hospitals, and government institutions.

4. Job Shadowing: Internships are a way for students to experience working professionals in their area of interest. It goes on from a few days to a few weeks, giving insight into possible career routes, and helping students make sound career decisions.

Paid vs. Unpaid Internships:

  1. Paid Internships: Indian students especially from the Engineering, IT, & Law stream. A modest stipend to cover the costs of living. Paid internships are particularly competitive, so be sure to emphasize any particular skills that you have that other potential interns may not such as language abilities and cross-cultural communication being two of the most common.
  2. Unpaid Internships: Unpaid internships are generally provided to students who cannot work because of visa restrictions. However, this experience still provides excellent work experience and networking opportunities. A flexible schedule lets them manage both studies and internships, making their learning experience better.

Coop Programs: This bridges classroom learning with practical experience. Most universities in the United States, Canada, and Australia have partnerships with employers and thus guarantee industry exposure.

 Top 21 Foreign Internships for Indian Students

1. Internal Audit Summer Analyst Program

 JP Morgan Chase and Co. provide the internship. The interns are supposed to work alongside internal audit professionals. Candidates with excellent academic backgrounds are preferred for this internship. Candidates pursuing a BA, BS, or 5th year M.A. or M.S. are expected to apply for this internship.

  • Deadline: 3rd December 2024
  • Duration: The duration of the internship is 9 weeks.
  • Internship value: The internship will provide you with quality training, mentoring, and access to projects that will engage your skills.
  • Official website: Internal Audit Summer Analyst Program

2. UNICEF Internships 2024 (Paid Internship)

Unicef provides various internships which are open to all international students. Students are provided with various philanthropic opportunities to serve the world by working with UNICEF. The students applying for these internships must be enrolled in a bachelor's, master's, or PhD program and be proficient in English, French, or Spanish.

  • Deadline: Varies (Depends on the internship you are choosing)
  • Duration: 6 to 26 weeks
  • Internship value: Provides a monthly stipend along with a lump sum for travel and visa costs.
  • Official website: UNICEF Internships

3. The Visiting Student Research Program

 The VSRP internship program is provided by the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology(KAUST). KAUST is a renowned university in Saudi Arabia and through this internship, it aims to provide opportunities to international students. Students from close to 130 countries participate in this internship program. The university requires at least a 3.5 CGPA to apply for the internship. 200 plus research projects are offered to students to explore.

To be eligible for this internship, the student must be a 3rd-year undergraduate or must have enrolled in a master's degree. Must need to have a minimum GPA of 3.5 and at least needs to have a score of 6.5 in IELTS to apply for this internship.

  • Deadline: Applications are accepted throughout the year.
  • Internship value: A monthly stipend of USD 1000, living expenses, VISA and airfare fees, and health insurance.  
  • Duration: The duration of the internship is between 3 to 6 months. 
  • Official website: The Visiting Student Research Program

4. Vienna Biocenter Scientific Training

The Vienna BioCenter Summer School program aims to attract talented students from around the world, creating a vibrant and diverse atmosphere. The program provides a unique opportunity for approx 25-30 undergraduate students to work side by side with leading researchers in a dynamic scientific environment at Vienna Biocenter. The program is for students from Molecular biology, neuroscience, immunology, bioinformatics, RNA biology, stem cells, and biochemistry.

  • Deadline: Opens on December 1st, 2024 and open till January 2025
  • Internship value: A stipend of 1400 euros, medical insurance, travel expenses, and accommodation are provided. 
  • Duration: The duration of the internship is up to 10 weeks.
  • Official website: Vienna Biocenter Scientific Training

5. The Harvard Stem Cell Institute Internship Program

As the name suggests the internship program is funded by Harvard University for undergraduates. The interns will have the chance to experience training in the stem cell science laboratory of The Harvard Stem Cell Institute. Candidates must be enrolled in subjects like natural science or biomedical engineering. At the end of the program, the students will be required to submit their findings.

  • Deadline: The applications for Harvard Stem Cell Institute internships for 2025 will be released in December 2024
  • Internship value: International applicants will be provided with a stipend of USD 2000 per month.
  • Duration: The duration of this internship will be 8 weeks.
  • Official website: The Harvard Stem Cell Institute Internship Program

6. Humboldt Research Fellowships

The fellowship is provided by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation for Postdoctoral researchers. The fellowship is open to scientists or scholars from all backgrounds. The fellowship can be taken in Germany for up to 24 months.

  • Deadline: The fellowship is open throughout the year, you can apply to Humboldt Research Fellowships at any time.
  • Fellowship value: A stipend of €2,670 to €3,170 per month plus research expenses is provided.
  • Duration: The fellowship can be from 6 to 24 months.
  • Official website: Humboldt Research Fellowships

7. Summer Research Internship

The internship is provided by the University of Sydney to its students. The students will gain real-life experience in conducting research during the internship. To be eligible for the internship you need to be a current student at the University of Sydney. The applicant should have good academic records to apply for this internship.

  • Deadline: The applications for the program of 2024-25 will open in September 2024.
  • Internship value: The interns will be provided with up to 3,330 AUD per week.
  • Duration: The programs vary from four to eight weeks.
  • Official website: Summer Research Internship

8. Scientific Internship, (IST, Austria)

This internship is provided by the Institute of Science and Technology Austria. The internship is open to students who are pursuing a bachelor's or master's in science or mathematics-related discipline. The scientific intern could be appointed for up to a year. The scientific interns at the ISTA are also offered a salary of 1,113 EUROS per month. 

  • Duration: No deadline. All year-round.
  • Internship Value:  The scientific interns at the ISTA are also offered a salary of  EUR 1,184 gross/month.
  • Deadline: As of yet there is no deadline, you can apply at any time.
  • Official website: Scientific Internship, (IST, Austria)

9. The Bank Internship Program (World Bank Internship) 2024

The World Bank offers internships to highly motivated individuals to improve their skills while working in a diverse environment. The applicants should have completed their graduation and be enrolled in a master's program. The applicant should be a student 

  • Deadline: January 2nd, 2024 to January 31st, 2024. (Will reopen in January 2025)
  • Internship Value: The recipients are paid on an hourly basis USD 3000 is also provided to cover travel expenses.
  • Duration: The duration of the internship is a minimum of four weeks.
  • Official website:  The Bank Internship Program (World Bank Internship)

10. Visiting Ph.D. Fellowship 2024

The Visiting PhD fellowship internship is provided by United Nations University. The internship as the name says is for Ph.D. students. The internship provides an opportunity for doctoral students to prepare their thesis on developing economies by using resources at UNU-WIDER. The internship will be held in Helsinki. The fellowship is very competitive and only 1% of the applying students have been successful.

  • Deadline:  The deadline for applying is 31st March and 30th September every year
  • Fellowship value: Provides a monthly stipend of EUR 2,000 along with travel expenses and health insurance.
  • Duration: The internship will last for 3 months.
  • Official website: Visiting Ph.D. Fellowship

11.  OECD Internship program

OECD, short for The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, is an international organization is provides internships to full-time students in a field related to OECD. The students should be capable of working in an international environment. A student applying for the OECD internship should have a good command of either English or French.

  • Deadline: Applications are accepted in March and September every year. 
  • Internship value: A stipend of up to 1000 Euros will be provided per month to cover living expenses.
  • Duration: The duration of the internship will be 1 to 6 months.
  • Official website: OECD Internship program

12. Mitacs Globalink Research Internship

The Globalink internship by Mitacs offers internships to undergraduate students or students of joint bachelor's and master's programs. The students applying to this internship need to be fluent in English or French language. The students applying should at least have 3 semesters to complete their current studies. This can be considered a good foreign internship for Indian engineering students.

  • Deadline: The student needs to apply for the internship between August to September.
  • Internship Value: A stipend of $300, round-trip airfare to Canada, housing, an emergency health insurance policy, and a stipend for food are provided.
  • Duration: The internship is for 12 weeks
  • Official website: Mitacs Globalink Research Internship

13. Engineering Vacation Research Internship Program

The program is offered by The University of Sydney to students studying in Universities of Australia. The program offers students experience in engineering, computer science, and project management research. The program is held twice a year that is in winter and summer.

  • Deadline: The applications for the winter research program open in April and for the summer research program in September. 
  • Internship value: The students will be provided with 500 AUD per week.
  • Duration: The internship will last for up to 6 weeks.
  • Official website: Engineering Vacation Research Internship Program

14. Research in Industrial Projects 2024 (Fully Funded and Paid Internship)

The RIPS program is a summer research for undergraduates studying math, computer science, and related disciplines. Each of the student's teams will research problems and at the end of the program will present results. The students participating in this program will stay at the campus of the University of California, Los Angeles. The projects mostly involve math, statistics, data, and computing. The students will have close to 9 projects.

  • Deadline: The deadline for the program is February 5th, 2024. 
  • Internship Value: The internship will cover expenses for Travel, Housing at the UCLA campus, and meals, and also provide a stipend of $4,200.
  • Duration: The duration of the internship is 9 weeks.
  • Official website: Research in Industrial Projects

15. Caltech SURF (Paid Internship)

SURF which is short for Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships is a foreign internship for Indian engineering students with excellent academic backgrounds. To apply for this summer internship students first need to get in touch with a mentor at Caltech. After talking to the mentor students need to write a proposal for the research that they want to pursue. The faculty at Caltech will review your research proposal and accordingly grant you an award.

  • Deadline: 22nd February 2024. (Will reopen for 2025)
  • Internship value: $7,740
  • Duration: The fellowship will last for up to 10 weeks.
  • Official website: Caltech SURF

16.  The Summer Internship Program (Fully Funded Internship)

The summer internship program is offered at the University of Oxford. The program is open to all current and matriculated Oxford students irrespective of their nationality. The internships can be remote/ work from home, as well as in-person depending on the preference of the student. These are a combination of internships provided by NGOs or research institutions to the students of Oxford.

  • Deadline: 12th February 2024 (Will reopen for 2025)
  • Internship value: The internship may provide a stipend and travel or accommodation assistance.
  • Duration: The duration of internships varies from 2 to 12 weeks.
  • Official website: The Summer Internship Program

17. UK Visiting fellowships (Fully Funded Internship)

The UK Visiting fellowship scheme is provided by the Nehru Trust for Indian Collections at the V&A Museum (NTICVA). This scheme is provided to Indian citizens or students to visit the UK for research in the field of arts and culture. The given scheme collaborates with the Charles Wallace Trust. The fellowships are held at the Victoria Museum or Albert Museum of the UK. The candidates are allowed to select the institution of their choice for research. 

To be eligible the student must be employed by universities, galleries, museums, or other institutions concerned with the preservation and study of India's art and cultural heritage.

  • Deadline: 15th February 2024. (Will reopen for 2025)
  • Internship value: The expenses of the candidates in the UK and the airfare expenses are covered under the fellowship.
  • Duration: The duration of the fellowship is between 1 to 3 months.

18. The Summer Internship Program 2024

The internship is provided by the Institute of Science and Technology (IST) Austria. This internship is provided to bachelor's or master's students from science backgrounds to expand their experience in research by working in laboratories.

  • Deadline: 15th February 2024
  • Internship value: The internship covers the cost of living in Austria and provides travel expenses to and from Austria. In addition to that, the internship also includes Visa arrangements, insurance, housing, and other needs of students.
  • Duration: The duration of this internship is 2-3 months.
  • Official website: The Summer Internship Program

19. ADB Internship Program

The above internship program is provided by the Asian Development Bank. The ADB provides opportunities for graduate students to gain experience through research projects. The internship program is held twice a year.

The interns are selected based on their performance in the assignments that they provide on their website during the application period. The students can choose an assignment based on their field of interest. To apply for this internship, the student should be pursuing a master's or Ph.D.

The Asian Development Bank Internship has an internship open in their Climate Change and Sustainable Development Department. To be eligible for the internship the student has to be enrolled in a Master's or a Ph.D. level program and must be engaged in the subjects of gender study, international development, environmental science, or climate change.

  • Deadline: 5th March 2024
  • Internship value: Apart from the experience, the students will also be provided with a stipend which will be discussed during your application process.
  • Duration: The duration of the internship is from 8 weeks to 11 weeks.
  • Official website: ADB Internship Program

20. Nestle Internship Programme 2024

Nestle is offering internships to graduates pursuing full-time degrees. The candidates applying for this internship should have at least a 3.2 CGPA or its equivalent. The internship will be provided at Nestle Malaysia in the field of an individual's study. The internship will provide students with experiential learning through training and mentoring.

  • Deadline: Apply to the Nestle Internship by going through the link with the proper start & end date of the internship. You will be contacted directly 1 to 2 months before the start of the internship if you are selected.
  • Internship value and duration: The duration of the Nestle Internship program is a minimum of 12 months. You will be contacted directly 1 to 2 months before the start of the internship if you are selected. You can discuss all the details that you would like to know.
  • Official website: Nestle Internship Programme

21. Balmoral Residential Fellowships

Balmoral Residential fellowships are awarded to visual artists from all over the world. The students applying for this fellowship must have completed studies in art like a Masters in Fine Arts and three years of continuous work in arts. The candidates applying for the fellowship must know either German or English. 

  • Deadline: The deadline for application varies, whereas the fellowship starts in April each year.
  • Internship value: The fellows are provided with 1,400 Euros per month for travel costs.
  • Duration: Two of the fellowships are for four months whereas the rest four are awarded for eight months. 
  • Official website: Balmoral Residential Fellowships

Work From Home Internships 

Internships can provide students with an amazing opportunity to explore the field they are interested in, while also getting paid for it. It provides you with a window into the intricacies of the field and gives you a chance to network with industry professionals. Now imagine doing it from the comfort of your own home. Sounds amazing doesn't it? But unfortunately, it's not very easy to find remote internships especially when they are out of your home country. There are various virtual internships that you can find online, but they are internships you need to pay for to attend. 

But don't be disheartened, IRL internships hold a greater value speaking academically and they also provide you with hands-on experience in the field of your choice which you won't find in the case of a remote internship. So a pro tip here would be for you to search for internships that are not virtual. And even if you go for a virtual internship, make sure you do a project showcasing all the skills you've learned during that internship as it increases the credibility of your internship. 

AICTE Internship 2024

In case you see yourself not being eligible for any of these foreign internships, don't lose hope. You can still find amazing opportunities to excel in your career by doing internships in India as well. You can find a lot of internships relevant to your field of interest on the AICTE internship portal. As it is a government portal you so all the companies on there are authentic and have been verified.   

Benefits for Indian students from Internships Abroad

1. Build an International Network:  you can build a global network of professional allies. While doing an internship abroad, you will get the chance to build relationships with professional contacts as well as nonprofessional contacts that make you an effective international net-worker. No matter where you choose to stay in your career or upon returning to India, the network is the key.

2. Develop Language Skills: Participating in a diverse group with distinct cultural backgrounds offers an opportunity to pick up a new language. In the world of current global workplaces, using foreign languages is a key linguistic skill that sets apart Indian professionals who have comparable skills.

3. Understand New Business Cultures: Interning in different countries gives you exposure to different business etiquette and practices. Learning about different cultures in your experience helps you develop flexibility in your work, which likely enhances your success in multinational organizations or MNCs

4. Enhance Skills: Operating abroad bolsters one's technical skills along with one's life skills. This kind of choice enhances your communication abilities, leadership skills, and team collaboration, even as you obtain important experience in this area. Having both these skills differentiates you when you seek employment in India.

5. Gain Strong References: While working as an intern, the bond you develop with others can create powerful references that can become very useful and important to your future job applications.

6. Increase Employability: An international internship helps the recruiter to deduce the fact that you can fit into various environments and prove your academic and cultural experience. This increases the chances of being recruited for a job or getting a PPO in any company with which you have done your internship.

Conclusion:

The above-given opportunities will help you explore the work environment in different countries. Though these opportunities don't come to you easily, you need to have a quality education to be eligible for these internships.

The majority of them are given to students who are currently studying in foreign Universities. You can study abroad to gain quality education and international exposure, but managing expenses on your own to study abroad can be very costly. To finance an abroad education many students take out an education loan. But it is not an easy deal. You'll need to carefully research all the education loan products offered by various banks and financial institutions, compare their interest rates, visit the banks, discuss your plans with the branch manager, negotiate the interest rate, take numerous trips around the bank to submit each document and then wait for your loan to get sanctioned.

Or else, you can reach out to WeMakeScholars. We do all of this and more for FREE. As we are an organization funded by the government, we do not charge the students anything for the services we provide. You can reach out to us by commenting down or requesting a callback.