Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, has garnered the highest number of fellowships, thirteen in total, under the Prime Minister’s Fellowship Scheme for Doctoral Research, according to the two recently released national lists. No other university or institute has secured an equal number of fellowships, placing PAU at the forefront of industry-linked doctoral research in India.
The Prime Minister’s Fellowship Scheme for Doctoral Research is a prestigious Public-Private Partnership initiative jointly spearheaded by the Anusandhan National Research Foundation and the Confederation of Indian Industry Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) is also the implementation partner of this pogramme. Designed to promote industry-relevant research, the scheme encourages young, talented, and outcome-driven scholars to work on problems of national and commercial significance. Fellows receive an enhanced scholarship of approximately ₹1,00,000 per month. Half of the amount is funded by the Government of India, while the remaining half is contributed by a partner company that works closely with the scholar on the research project.
Among the PAU recipients, Deepti Jaswal is conducting doctoral research with Shivambu International under the BDM Foods banner. Renuka Sahu has partnered with Mahalaxmi Seeds, Johar Singh with Aujla Seeds, Machhiwara, and Akshi Attri with Higgs Healthcare. Uday Kumar B V is collaborating with Star Agriseeds Private Limited. Komal is working with Savannah Seeds Private Limited, Arti Gupta with Neva Plantations LLP, and Gurpreet Kaur with Onkar Seeds Private Limited. Sutej Singh Bains has partnered with Rasi Seeds Private Limited, Aachal Mahadevrao Futane with Goldking Biogene Private Limited, Tarun Kumar Meena with IFSA Seeds Private Limited, Gaurav Augustine with Prasad Seeds Private Limited, and Dilpreet Kaur Mangat with Aquamasters.
The scale of PAU’s achievement is particularly striking given the presence of premier institutions such as IITs and IISc in the fellowship pool. Even when multi-campus systems are aggregated, PAU, as a single, integrated university, accounts for the highest concentration of fellows, reflecting both institutional depth and coherence.
Dr Satbir Singh Gosal, Vice-Chancellor of PAU, linked this success to sustained investment in postgraduate education, structured industry partnerships, and a research ecosystem that aligns scientific inquiry with real-world agricultural challenges. He viewed it as a validation of PAU’s long-standing emphasis on applied, field-relevant research supported by strong faculty mentorship and industry trust.
From the perspective of Dr Manav Indra Singh Gill, Dean Postgraduate Studies, the fellowships underline the growing national relevance of PAU’s PhD programmes in areas such as seed development, plant biotechnology, horticulture, climate resilience, and agri-based innovation. The selections demonstrate that agricultural universities, when institutionally strong and industry-connected, can compete at the highest level of doctoral research funding.
With thirteen fellows in a single cycle, PAU has not only set a record of sorts but also reinforced the strategic importance of agriculture-led science and innovation in shaping India’s research and development future.