The Abdul Kalam Technology Innovation National Fellowship 2026 is no longer accepting new nominations.

The fellowship was introduced in 2017 by the Department of Science and Technology in association with the Indian National Academy of Engineering, or INAE.

It was designed to recognise outstanding engineers and support translational research, engineering innovation and technology development in India.

Under the programme, selected fellows historically received:

• ₹25,000 per month in addition to their regular income
• ₹15 lakh per year as a research grant
• ₹1 lakh per year as institutional overhead
• Support for an initial three years
• Possible extension for up to two additional years

However, the programme's status has now changed.

INAE officially states that the Science and Engineering Research Board, or SERB, has been subsumed into the Anusandhan National Research Foundation, or ANRF.

Following this transition, the Executive Council of ANRF decided to discontinue the Abdul Kalam Technology Innovation National Fellowship Scheme.

Therefore, applicants should not treat older SERB pages stating that nominations are accepted throughout the year as evidence of an active 2026 application window.

The fellowship details remain useful for understanding the scheme and existing fellows, but new nominations are not currently being accepted under this programme.

What Is the Abdul Kalam Technology Innovation National Fellowship?

The Abdul Kalam Technology Innovation National Fellowship was created to support exceptional engineers involved in technology development and translational research.

It was named after:

Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam

the former President of India and one of the country's best-known engineers and advocates of technological self-reliance.

The fellowship was launched in 2017.

Its purpose was not simply to support academic research.

Instead, it focused on moving research toward:

• Real technologies
• Products
• Devices
• Components
• Industrial processes
• Prototypes
• Field trials
• Commercial applications

The programme was coordinated by INAE in association with SERB and the Department of Science and Technology.

Who Administered the Fellowship?

The fellowship operated through a partnership involving:

• Department of Science and Technology
• Science and Engineering Research Board
• Indian National Academy of Engineering

INAE handled implementation and nomination-related administration.

However, SERB has since been absorbed into ANRF.

That institutional change ultimately affected the future of the fellowship.

INAE's current programme page now explicitly says that the ANRF Executive Council decided to discontinue the scheme.

Is the Abdul Kalam Fellowship Available in 2026?

No.

There is currently no active Abdul Kalam Technology Innovation National Fellowship call for 2026.

The programme has been discontinued.

This is the most important fact for applicants to understand.

Older SERB and even some ANRF pages still display the historical programme description.

Those pages include statements such as:

Nominations will be accepted throughout the year.

However, INAE's dedicated programme page provides the newer status and states that the fellowship has been discontinued following the transition from SERB to ANRF.

Therefore, prospective applicants should follow the current INAE notice rather than relying solely on the legacy fellowship description.

Why Was the Fellowship Created?

The fellowship was designed to bridge an important gap between:

Fundamental engineering research

and:

Deployable technology.

Many research projects produce publications but never move toward practical application.

The Abdul Kalam Fellowship was intended to support engineers capable of converting research into:

• Commercially usable technologies
• Prototypes
• Devices
• Industrial processes
• Pilot-scale systems
• Field-tested technologies

The programme's stated objective was to achieve excellence in:

• Engineering
• Innovation
• Technology development

 

Scope of the Fellowship

The fellowship covered:

All areas of engineering, innovation and technology.

There was no single narrow engineering discipline.

Potential areas could include:

• Mechanical engineering
• Electrical engineering
• Electronics
• Computer engineering
• Artificial intelligence
• Biomedical engineering
• Chemical engineering
• Civil engineering
• Materials engineering
• Manufacturing
• Aerospace engineering
• Robotics
• Energy technology
• Environmental engineering
• Communications
• Nanotechnology
• Industrial systems

The essential requirement was that the work involved meaningful engineering innovation or technology development.

The programme was especially focused on translational research rather than research conducted only for academic publication.

What Is Translational Research?

Translational research involves converting scientific or engineering knowledge into practical technology.

For example, a researcher may develop a new sensor in a laboratory.

Academic research might stop after demonstrating that the sensor works.

Translational research goes further.

The researcher may:

• Build a prototype
• Test it under real conditions
• Improve reliability
• Validate performance
• Prepare the technology for manufacturing
• File patents
• Engage industry
• Move toward commercialization

That was the type of work the Abdul Kalam Fellowship sought to encourage.

INAE's programme description makes this particularly clear.

It states that the fellowship applied to translational research expected to produce technologies capable of being commercialized, deployed, tested at pilot scale or demonstrated through working prototypes.

Abdul Kalam Technology Innovation National Fellowship Eligibility

Under the historical scheme, applicants had to satisfy several eligibility conditions.

1. Indian Nationals Could Apply

The programme applied to Indian nationals working in India in engineering-related capacities at publicly funded institutions.

These could include:

• Public universities
• IITs
• National research laboratories
• Government-funded engineering institutions
• Other publicly funded research organisations

 

2. OCI Researchers Were Also Eligible

Overseas Citizens of India could also qualify.

However, they needed to hold a:

Permanent position

in a publicly funded institution in India.

INAE's current programme archive confirms that Indian nationals and OCI researchers in permanent engineering positions at public institutions were eligible under the scheme.

3. Minimum Qualification

The nominee needed an adequate professional qualification and at least:

A bachelor's degree.

The scheme did not require every applicant to hold a PhD.

This was unusual for a prestigious research fellowship.

The focus was primarily on:

• Engineering achievement
• Innovation
• Technology development
• Track record

rather than academic qualifications alone.

4. Outstanding Innovation Track Record

Applicants were expected to demonstrate a proven record of:

• Innovation
• Engineering research
• Technology development

This could potentially include:

• Patents
• Products
• Prototypes
• Technology transfers
• Industrial processes
• Applied research
• Commercialized innovations

The fellowship was aimed at accomplished engineers rather than beginners.

5. Five Years of Service Remaining

One of the most important requirements was that the nominee must have at least:

Five years of service remaining

in the parent organisation as of the date of the award.

This meant researchers approaching retirement without sufficient remaining service would normally not qualify.

6. Other Fellowships Were Not Allowed

A nominee could not simultaneously hold another fellowship.

If selected while holding another fellowship, the individual had to choose one.

However, this restriction related to fellowships.

Historical SERB documentation indicates that Abdul Kalam Fellows could still be eligible for regular research grants through extramural and other government science and technology programmes.

Was There an Age Limit?

The scheme did not publish a conventional maximum age in the main eligibility rules.

Instead, eligibility was controlled partly through the requirement that a nominee have at least:

Five years of service remaining in the parent organisation.

Therefore, retirement rules at the institution could effectively determine whether an older researcher remained eligible.

Fellowship Duration

The Abdul Kalam Fellowship was initially awarded for:

Three years.

It could then be extended by up to:

Two additional years

based on performance.

The maximum total duration was therefore:

Five years.

The extension was not automatically guaranteed.

Performance during the first three years mattered.

Abdul Kalam Fellowship Funding

The programme provided three major forms of financial support.

Monthly Fellowship

Selected fellows received:

₹25,000 per month

in addition to their normal salary or regular institutional income.

This meant the personal fellowship component amounted to:

₹3 lakh per year.

Over five years, if held for the maximum duration, the personal fellowship could total:

₹15 lakh.

Annual Research Grant

Each fellow received:

₹15 lakh per year

for research.

Over three years, that could total:

₹45 lakh.

If extended to the maximum five years, the research grant could reach:

₹75 lakh.

Institutional Overhead

The host institution received:

₹1 lakh per year

as institutional overhead.

Over five years, this could total:

₹5 lakh.

Maximum Potential Support Over Five Years

Assuming a fellow completed the full five-year period, the historical financial structure could amount to:

Component	Annual Amount	Maximum Five-Year Amount
Personal Fellowship	₹3 lakh	₹15 lakh
Research Grant	₹15 lakh	₹75 lakh
Institutional Overhead	₹1 lakh	₹5 lakh
Combined Support	₹19 lakh/year	₹95 lakh

The figures serve different purposes.

The ₹25,000 monthly payment went to the fellow as additional taxable income.

The ₹15 lakh annual research grant supported the research programme.

The ₹1 lakh institutional overhead went to the host institution.

They should not all be described as personal income.

Was the Fellowship Taxable?

Yes.

INAE states that the fellowship was:

Taxable under the Government of India's income-tax rules.

Therefore, the ₹25,000 monthly fellowship should not be interpreted as tax-free personal income.

What Could the Research Grant Be Used For?

Historical SERB documentation says the research grant could support engineering research and innovation expenses such as:

• Manpower
• Consumables
• Chemicals
• Equipment
• Domestic travel
• International travel for research purposes
• Other eligible research needs

 

Specific expenditure would still need to comply with applicable funding and institutional rules.

Expected Outcomes

The fellowship had a strong output-oriented structure.

Expected results included:

• Commercialized technology
• Deployable technology
• Pilot-scale technology
• Field-trial-ready technology
• Patents
• Sold patents
• Commercialized patents
• Working models
• Prototypes
• Technologies ready for demonstration

 

Scientific papers could still result from the work.

However, INAE makes clear that publication alone was not the programme's central purpose.

The fellowship specifically sought translational outcomes.

Who Could Nominate a Candidate?

The programme did not accept self-nominations.

Eligible nominators historically included:

• Heads of institutions
• Heads of organisations
• Presidents of National Science Academies
• Fellows of National Science Academies
• Presidents of National Engineering Academies
• Fellows of National Engineering Academies
• S.S. Bhatnagar Awardees
• J.C. Bose Awardees/Fellows

 

Therefore, an eligible engineer could not simply complete the nomination personally and submit it as a self-nominated application.

Were Self-Nominations Allowed?

No.

INAE explicitly states:

Self-nominations shall not be accepted.

Applicants therefore needed support from an eligible nominating authority.

How Many Fellowships Were Awarded Each Year?

The programme provided a maximum of:

10 fellowships per year.

This made the programme extremely selective.

Even if many qualified engineers were nominated, only a small number could receive the fellowship annually.

Selection Process

Selection was conducted by a:

Search-cum-Selection Expert Committee

specially constituted for the programme.

The committee evaluated nominations using the fellowship's broader guidelines.

Because the programme focused on accomplished engineers, factors likely central to assessment included the nominee's:

• Innovation record
• Technology-development achievements
• Translational research potential
• Proposed work
• Track record

However, applicants should distinguish those practical considerations from any formal scoring system.

INAE's public programme page does not publish a detailed numerical scoring rubric.

Historical Nomination Process

Before discontinuation, nominations were submitted to INAE.

The required nomination form and supporting documents could be sent by email.

The designated submission address was:

inaehq@inae.in

INAE also stated that if the nomination document was not physically signed by the nominator, the nominator needed to send an email authenticating the nomination.

However, applicants should not send new 2026 applications to this email, because the fellowship has now been discontinued.

Were Nominations Open Throughout the Year?

Historically, yes.

INAE states that nominations were accepted throughout the year.

However, it also introduced an annual processing cutoff.

Nominations received up to:

June 30

were considered for selection during that financial year.

Nominations received after June 30 were carried forward for consideration in the following financial year.

The last stated nomination deadline on INAE's discontinued-programme page was:

June 30, 2024

for the 2024–25 call.

That is important evidence that there is no fresh 2026 cycle.

Can Previous Applicants Apply Again?

Under the previous programme rules, an unsuccessful nominee could apply again in a later financial year.

However, the person still needed at least:

Five years of residual service

in the parent organisation.

Because the scheme has now been discontinued, that historical reapplication provision no longer creates a current application route.

Why Do SERB and ANRF Pages Still Show the Fellowship?

This is where applicants can easily become confused.

The old programme description remains publicly accessible.

SERB's archived programme page still lists:

• Eligibility
• ₹25,000 monthly fellowship
• ₹15 lakh annual grant
• Continuous nominations
• INAE submission information

 

The ANRF fellowship page also reproduces much of the older information.

However, INAE's dedicated fellowship page contains the newer notice:

SERB has been subsumed into ANRF and the ANRF Executive Council has decided to discontinue the Abdul Kalam Technology Innovation National Fellowship.

For 2026 status, that newer notice should take priority.

SERB to ANRF Transition

The Science and Engineering Research Board previously administered a wide range of Indian research programmes.

Following the establishment of ANRF, SERB was subsumed into the new organisation.

Some older SERB programmes continued in revised forms.

Others were restructured or discontinued.

The Abdul Kalam Technology Innovation National Fellowship falls into the latter category.

INAE explicitly associates the discontinuation with the SERB-to-ANRF transition.

Is There a Replacement Abdul Kalam Fellowship Under ANRF?

The official sources reviewed do not identify a direct 2026 replacement programme with the same name, eligibility rules and financial structure.

Therefore, it would be inaccurate to tell applicants that the fellowship has simply been renamed.

Engineers interested in ANRF funding should instead review ANRF's current research grant programmes to determine which active scheme matches their project.

The discontinued Abdul Kalam Fellowship should not be confused with active ANRF programmes such as other research grants or fellowships that have different eligibility conditions.

Existing Abdul Kalam Fellows

Discontinuation of new nominations does not mean that past awardees never existed or that their achievements are no longer recognised.

INAE maintains information about recipients from previous years.

For example, its recipient archive lists fellows selected during 2022–23 working on projects involving:

• Rehabilitation technologies
• 3D microprinting
• Robotic neurorehabilitation

 

INAE also continues to reference existing Abdul Kalam Fellows in its activities.

This is consistent with a programme that has stopped accepting new nominees but still has a history and existing recipient network.

Examples of Technology Areas Supported

Previous fellows worked across a variety of engineering disciplines.

Historical SERB reports describe projects involving:

• Water purification
• Groundwater treatment
• Heavy-metal removal
• Industrial effluent treatment
• Food preservation technology
• Biomedical engineering
• Manufacturing technologies

 

This demonstrates the broad meaning of engineering innovation under the programme.

Abdul Kalam Fellowship 2026 Key Facts

Item	Details
Programme	Abdul Kalam Technology Innovation National Fellowship
Short Name	AKTIN Fellowship
Country	India
Launched	2017
Original Partners	DST, SERB and INAE
Implementing Organisation	Indian National Academy of Engineering
Main Focus	Translational engineering research and technology development
Eligible Nationality	Indian nationals and eligible OCI researchers
Institution Type	Publicly funded institutions in India
Minimum Qualification	Bachelor's degree
Residual Service Requirement	Minimum 5 years
Monthly Fellowship	₹25,000
Annual Research Grant	₹15 lakh
Annual Institutional Overhead	₹1 lakh
Initial Duration	3 years
Maximum Duration	5 years
Maximum Awards	10 per year
Self-Nomination	Not permitted
Historical Nomination Cycle	Throughout year, with June 30 processing cutoff
Last Stated Call Deadline	June 30, 2024
2026 Application Status	Discontinued / Not open
Current Administering Framework	SERB subsumed into ANRF

 

How to Prepare if Similar ANRF Funding Becomes Available

Although the Abdul Kalam Fellowship itself has been discontinued, engineers interested in future translational-research funding can still prepare.

Build a Strong Technology Track Record

Document:

• Patents
• Prototypes
• Technology transfers
• Commercial products
• Pilot deployments
• Industry partnerships

These achievements are often important in translational research programmes.

Move Beyond Publications

Academic publications are valuable.

However, technology funding often asks:

What can this research become?

Researchers should be able to explain:

• What technology they are developing
• Who will use it
• What problem it solves
• Its present technology-readiness level
• What remains before deployment

Maintain Institutional Support

Large research programmes usually require institutional endorsement.

Researchers should ensure their host institutions can provide:

• Laboratory facilities
• Administrative support
• Financial management
• Intellectual-property support

Monitor ANRF

Because ANRF now manages India's broader research funding framework, researchers should monitor its active programmes rather than relying on archived SERB calls.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Abdul Kalam Technology Innovation National Fellowship?

It was a prestigious Indian engineering fellowship established to recognise and support outstanding engineers conducting translational research and technology development.

It was launched in 2017 by DST and INAE in association with SERB.

Is the Abdul Kalam Fellowship open in 2026?

No.

The fellowship has been discontinued following SERB's transition into ANRF.

Why does the SERB website still say nominations are accepted throughout the year?

The SERB page contains the historical programme rules.

INAE's newer dedicated programme page states that ANRF's Executive Council decided to discontinue the fellowship.

What was the fellowship amount?

Successful fellows historically received:

₹25,000 per month

in addition to their regular income.

How much research funding was provided?

The research grant was:

₹15 lakh per year.

Was there an institutional overhead?

Yes.

The host institution received:

₹1 lakh per year.

How long did the fellowship last?

The initial duration was three years.

It could be extended by up to two additional years based on performance.

The maximum duration was five years.

Was the fellowship taxable?

Yes.

INAE states that the fellowship was taxable according to Government of India income-tax rules.

Could OCI engineers apply?

Yes.

OCI researchers holding permanent positions in publicly funded institutions in India were eligible under the scheme.

Was a PhD compulsory?

No.

The published eligibility requirement stated that the applicant needed at least a bachelor's degree together with appropriate professional qualifications and an outstanding innovation or technology-development track record.

Could private-sector engineers apply?

The scheme was specifically designed around engineers working in publicly funded institutions in India.

Therefore, engineers employed exclusively by private companies were not the main eligible group.

How many fellowships were awarded annually?

A maximum of:

10 fellowships per year

could be awarded.

Could a scientist nominate himself or herself?

No.

Self-nominations were explicitly prohibited.

Who could nominate applicants?

Eligible nominators included heads of institutions, national science or engineering academy presidents and fellows, S.S. Bhatnagar Awardees and J.C. Bose Awardees.

Was there an age limit?

The main eligibility rules did not publish a simple age ceiling.

However, the applicant needed at least five years of service remaining in the parent organisation.

Could an applicant hold another fellowship?

No.

If selected while holding another fellowship, the person had to choose one.

Could fellows hold other research grants?

Historical SERB documentation indicates that fellows could still receive regular research grants through other eligible government science and technology schemes.

What was the last deadline?

INAE's discontinued-scheme page states that the last date for nominations for the 2024–25 call was June 30, 2024.

Can I submit a nomination to INAE now?

You should not submit a new 2026 nomination under this programme.

INAE states that the fellowship has been discontinued.

Has ANRF launched a direct replacement?

The official sources reviewed do not identify a direct replacement carrying the same Abdul Kalam Fellowship name and conditions.

Applicants should examine ANRF's currently active research programmes separately.

Final Takeaway

The Abdul Kalam Technology Innovation National Fellowship was one of India's prestigious programmes for engineers working on translational research and technology development.

It was launched in 2017 to encourage engineers to move beyond basic research and create practical technologies.

The programme historically provided:

₹25,000 per month as a personal fellowship

plus:

₹15 lakh per year for research

and:

₹1 lakh annually for the host institution.

The initial fellowship period was three years, with the possibility of an extension to a maximum of five years.

Applicants needed to work in publicly funded Indian institutions, hold at least a bachelor's degree and demonstrate an outstanding record in engineering innovation or technology development.

They also needed at least five years of service remaining in their parent organisation.

Self-nominations were not permitted.

Only designated institutional leaders, academy members and recognised awardees could nominate candidates.

A maximum of 10 fellowships could be awarded each year.

However, this is now historical information.

For anyone searching for the Abdul Kalam Technology Innovation National Fellowship 2026, the most important update is that the programme is not currently open.

SERB has been subsumed into ANRF, and INAE states that the ANRF Executive Council decided to discontinue the Abdul Kalam Technology Innovation National Fellowship Scheme.

The last nomination deadline specifically identified on INAE's current programme page was:

June 30, 2024

for the 2024–25 call.

Therefore, applicants should not follow older instructions telling them that nominations are continuously open.

Those instructions describe the programme before its discontinuation.

Researchers interested in translational engineering funding should instead monitor active ANRF and INAE research programmes for current opportunities.

The historical Abdul Kalam Fellowship remains important because of the technologies and engineers it supported.

But for 2026 publishing purposes, it should be described accurately as a discontinued fellowship rather than an active funding opportunity.