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CHANAKYA Fellowship Program 2025

About the Fellowship

The Technology Innovation in Exploration & Mining Foundation (TEXMiN), IIT (ISM) Dhanbad is a national center of excellence established under the National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (NM-ICPS), DST, Government of India. As India’s first dedicated hub for cyber-physical systems (CPS) in mining and exploration, TEXMiN is at the forefront of driving cutting-edge research, technology development, and industry-oriented innovation.

Located in the country’s premier mining and earth sciences institute, TEXMiN brings together academia, industry, and start-ups to transform the mining and mineral exploration ecosystem. Its mission is to create next-generation solutions for Industry 4.0, Digital India, and sustainable resource management by integrating AI, robotics, IoT, autonomous systems, and advanced sensing technologies.

To nurture a new generation of innovators, TEXMiN Foundation IIT(ISM) Dhanbad invites motivated undergraduate students to join the CHANAKYA Fellowship Program 2025. This fellowship offers a unique opportunity to work on high-impact, real-world projects, gain mentorship from top researchers, and contribute to the development of technologies that will define the future of mining and exploration in India and beyond.

Key Highlights

  • Monthly Fellowship – ₹10,000 for Undergraduate students & ₹12,000/month for postgraduate
    students for 10 months
  • Separate funding support for idea development
  • Access to TEXMiN incubation facilities for promising projects
  • Direct interaction with leading experts and industries in the cyber-physical systems (CPS) domain
  • Exposure to cutting-edge research, with opportunities for publications, patents, and start-up creation

Eligibility

  • Academic Qualification:
    • B. Tech/BE students in any discipline, from 1 st to 4 th year
    • Integrated M.Sc./M. Tech students from 1 st to 2 nd year
  • Minimum CGPA – 7.0 (on a 10-point scale)
  • Each applicant must have at least one faculty mentor from their home institute.
  • Applicants must not hold any other fellowship during the tenure of the CHANAKYA fellowship.

Application & Selection

  • Proposals will be evaluated by TEXMiN’s expert committee on technical merit, originality, and
    feasibility, and the committee’s decision shall be final and binding.
  • Applications with a faculty mentor’s consent will receive priority consideration.
  • Approximately 20 fellowships are available for the 2025–26 cycle, subject to modification based on
    quality of applications and fund availability.
  • Fellows must submit regular progress reports; TEXMiN reserves the right to withhold or terminate
    the fellowship for unsatisfactory performance or non-compliance.

How to Apply

1. Register Online: Click here to apply online
2. Prepare Proposal: Submit the Project Proposal in the prescribed format, along with the Mentor’s
Consent Letter.
3. Choose a Problem Domain: Select at least one problem area from the list of TEXMiN sub-domains.
4. Deadline for Submission: 21st October 2025
5. Enquiries: Email to innovation@texmin.in | debashis@texmin.in with the subject line “Enquiry
– CHANAKYA UG Fellowship 2025”.

Benefits:

  • Golden and unique opportunity to apply your innovative ideas to solve real-world problems.
  • A monthly fellowship of ₹10,000 for undergraduate students and ₹12,000 for postgraduate students
    will be provided for a duration of 10 months.
  • Eligible proposals may be considered for additional financial support towards idea development,
    subject to review and approval.
  • Promising fellows could be recommended for start-up assistance and incubation opportunities at
    TEXMiN upon successful completion of the program.
  • Participants may be offered avenues to engage with industry stakeholders in the CPS domain, based
    on program evaluation.

Contact

For queries or clarifications, please reach out to

  • Dr. Lailesh Kumar | CTO TEXMiN: cto@texmin.in
  • Mr. Debashis Chatterjee | Sr. Manager Technology: debashis@texmin.in
  • Dr. Mollika Banerjee | Manager Technology (Mining): mollika@texmin.in
  • Innovation Desk: innovation@texmin.in
  • +91-9955030824 / +91-9311512618