Source ForPressRelease.com

Newton School of Technology (NST) has announced that 98.3% of eligible students in its Pune Class of 2028 secured internships before entering their third year, with nearly one in three internships at AI & Data companies. Published in NST's Internship Report 2026, the findings cover a 313-student cohort studying computer science and artificial intelligence at Ajeenkya DY Patil University (ADYPU).



The outcome follows a 93.07% internship placement rate for NST's earlier NCR cohort of 104 students. With roughly three times the total batch strength, the Pune cohort secured opportunities across 173 employers, including assignments in AI evaluation, satellite navigation, drone systems and open-source software.



The report was independently validated by Sorab S. Engineer & Co., Chartered Accountants, which has also audited placement reports for multiple IIMs. The validation checked internship outcomes against supporting records, including offer letters and recruiter communications, in accordance with Indian Placement Reporting Standards, Revision 2.2.

AI & Data emerges as the largest internship sector



AI & Data companies accounted for 1 in 3 of internships secured, making the sector the largest destination for the cohort. A further 79 students secured opportunities at Software, SaaS & Technology Services companies. Employers also hired students across education, commerce, financial technology, manufacturing, hardware and healthcare.



These outcomes come as AI changes both entry-level work and the capabilities employers seek. Deloitte India's Campus Workforce Trends 2026 found that 35% of surveyed organisations reported AI adoption creating new entry-level roles or skill requirements, up from 21% in FY25.



For NST, the significance lies in students gaining experience within this changing technology landscape while still midway through their undergraduate education.



Siddharth Maheshwari, Co-founder, Newton School of Technology, said: "AI is changing what young engineers need to know and what companies expect them to contribute. We want our students to understand that change through work, not only through coursework. Nearly one in three internships secured by this cohort is at an AI & Data company, and students are already contributing to projects such as model evaluation and context building. Achieving a second strong cohort outcome, with roughly three times as many students, is a milestone for NST. India needs more people who can build and improve technology. Our part is to prepare them and create opportunities to take on that responsibility early."



Evaluating AI models, analysing satellite signals and controlling drones



Birajit Saikia worked on infrastructure for evaluating AI models at US-based AfterQuery, contributing to the pipelines and benchmarks used to assess model performance as models evolved.



Raman Pandey analysed satellite-signal interference at VyomIC, working on technical challenges involved in satellite navigation.



At Drona Aviation, Devendra Mishra built browser-based drone controls in around 20 days, connecting a React interface to drone hardware through real-time commands.



Tushar Verma contributed to JSON Schema's format-validation test suite through Google Summer of Code, while also working as a backend engineering intern at Mugafi.



Across the cohort, the mean monthly stipend was ₹23,149, the median was ₹20,000, and the highest monthly-equivalent stipend reached ₹1.9 lakh.



Students are building companies alongside their degrees



A further 17 students in the Pune cohort chose NST's approved entrepreneurship pathway, working on ventures of their own instead of participating in internship placement.



Across NST's wider Startup Foundry programme, student ventures have collectively generated more than ₹1 crore in revenue. The programme supports student founders through idea validation, product development, customer testing and preparation for investment.



The entrepreneurship pathway provides a separate form of industry exposure, with students taking responsibility for developing products and testing business ideas while continuing their education.



Together, these outcomes mark a milestone for NST and the young engineers it is helping prepare for India's technology future. Their contributions to Indian companies and global technology projects show the promise of a generation already beginning to build.