Build for Bharat Fellowship – 2026 Cohort
Build for Bharat Fellowship – 2026 Cohort (Engineering)
Every public service we take for granted, appreciate, or criticize typically relies on a digital system behind the scenes. Whether you dial ‘112’ during an emergency, receive a speeding ticket, or when the government plans rural road upgrades, provides financial assistance to women’s groups, offers free health insurance to senior citizens, or grants scholarships — technology underpins these processes and often goes unnoticed unless it fails.
A government's ability to serve the public is directly tied to its capacity to leverage technology for everyone, at all times. These mission-critical systems demand highly skilled technologists who understand the realities of public service, policy, and the unique challenges of implementing tech solutions within complex social frameworks.
The Build for Bharat Fellowship aims to identify and train early-career public-interest technologists who can strengthen, modernize, and humanize the digital technologies used to address India’s most urgent public and governance challenges.
We’re looking to place India’s top engineering and design students at the heart of some of the nation’s toughest governance initiatives — bridging the gap between state-of-the-art technology and public service.
What Does the Fellowship Offer?
1️⃣ Real-World Problem-Solving
For 6 months, Fellows will be placed in government departments in partnership with our program. Here, they’ll work on high-impact tech projects that either improve the lives of millions or enhance the effectiveness of government operations.
2️⃣ Public Technologist Orientation
Before and throughout your placement, you’ll undergo a rigorous orientation program — diving deep into how public systems operate, why large-scale tech solutions can fail, and how to build resilient, responsible systems that account for India’s societal and policy complexities.
3️⃣ Expert Mentorship
You’ll have access to one-on-one office hours with leading experts in databases, security, distributed systems, open-source technology, and design — drawn from top tech companies, academia, and the public sector.
🧩 About the Fellowship
This is the second cohort (2026) of the fellowship.
The first cohort (2025) was a great success — you can learn more about it on Bharat Digital’s official website.
Learn More
Watch:
Please watch the official information webinar on YouTube → https://youtu.be/h-o_GRBOCds
We strongly urge you to apply after watching the webinar.
Visit:
Check out our FAQs to learn more about the program.
Follow:
Stay updated by following the Bharat Digital LinkedIn page.
Upcoming Event
We also invite you to join the End-of-Cohort Presentation by our most recent BFB Fellows on Friday, October 10, at 3:00 PM.
This is a great opportunity for prospective applicants to see firsthand the type of impactful work Fellows engage in.
Sign up here on the Bharat Digital website.
Important Dates
Application Deadline: 1st November, 23:59 PM
Queries: fellowship@bharatdigital.io
Note
This application form is only for the Engineering track.
Other tracks include GIS, Product Design, and Data Science.
Please apply to only one track that best fits your background and interests.
Forms for other tracks are linked on the official website.
Final Thoughts
If you’re passionate about building technology that drives social impact and strengthens governance systems across India, Build for Bharat Fellowship 2026 is your gateway to meaningful, real-world change.
Be part of the next generation of technologists redefining how India builds for its people.
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