No stipend is mentioned by Cisco; free, with a Cisco Networking Academy internship certificate and digital badges
About 2 months (2026: registration from 1 April, courses by 15 June, project by 10 July)
1st to 3rd-year students of B.E./B.Tech, MCA, BCA, B.Sc (CS, Data Analytics, Cyber Security, AI) or any technical degree or diploma, at a Cisco Networking Academy institution. Final-year students are not eligible.
2027-04
Table of Contents(7 headings)
The Cisco Virtual Internship Program (VIP) is a free online internship for engineering and technical students in India, run by Cisco Networking Academy with AICTE. You register on the AICTE internship portal, finish a set of Cisco NetAcad courses through your college's NetAcad instructor, then solve an industry problem statement. Students who pass get a Cisco Networking Academy internship certificate.
Status on 30 October 2026: closed. The 2026 cycle took registrations from 1 April to 25 May 2026, and certificates were due by 31 July 2026. The 2025 internship started on 17 June 2025, with applications reported to close at the end of May. So expect the 2027 cycle to open around April or May 2027. Cisco has not announced 2027 dates yet.
Cisco Virtual Internship at a glance
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Run by | Cisco Networking Academy, with AICTE (and NASSCOM FutureSkills Prime in earlier years) |
| Who can apply | 1st to 3rd-year technical degree or diploma students at Cisco Networking Academy institutions |
| Not eligible | Final-year students |
| Fee | Free |
| Stipend | None mentioned by Cisco |
| 2026 tracks | Cybersecurity, Networking, Artificial Intelligence |
| Duration | About 2 months of courses and project work |
| 2026 registration | 1 April to 25 May 2026 (closed) |
| Next cycle | Expected April or May 2027 |
| Where to register | AICTE internship portal |
Eligibility
- You must be in the 1st, 2nd or 3rd year of a programme. Final-year students can't join.
- Eligible courses in 2026: B.E./B.Tech, MCA, BCA, B.Sc (Computer Science, Data Analytics, Cyber Security or Artificial Intelligence), or any technical degree or diploma.
- Your college must be a Cisco Networking Academy (NetAcad) member, because a NetAcad instructor there enrols you in the courses. Cisco says new institutions can apply for NetAcad membership.
- You must be free for the full two months, from course work in April to May through project submission in July.
Tracks and courses (2026)
| Track | NetAcad courses |
|---|---|
| Cybersecurity | Introduction to Cybersecurity (optional), Cybersecurity Essentials, Getting Started with Cisco Packet Tracer, Exploring Networking with Cisco Packet Tracer |
| Networking | Networking Essentials, Getting Started with Cisco Packet Tracer, Exploring Networking with Cisco Packet Tracer |
| Artificial Intelligence | Introduction to Modern AI, Apply AI: Analyzing Customer Reviews, Data Analytics Essentials |
All three tracks end with an industry problem statement shared by Cisco.
How it works
- Register on the AICTE internship portal using the link your academy shares, and send the details to your NetAcad instructor for approval.
- Your instructor creates the course classes and enrols you.
- Finish all the recommended courses and share proof of completion and your digital badge links.
- Shortlisted students attend a live Cisco industry session (about 120 minutes, with Q&A) where the problem statement is explained.
- Solve the problem statement, submit the project and attempt the final quiz.
- Your institution's coordinator grades the project, Cisco validates it, and eligible students get the certificate.
For queries, Cisco lists virtualinternship@external.cisco.com, or ask your NetAcad instructor.
Stipend and certificate
Cisco's material does not mention any stipend, so treat this as an unpaid learning internship. You get a virtual internship certificate from Cisco Networking Academy after successful completion, plus badges for each NetAcad course. In 2025 the certificate was issued by Cisco NetAcad and NASSCOM. There is no job or interview attached.
Timeline of past cycles
| Year | Key dates |
|---|---|
| 2021 (pilot) | Launched by AICTE, Cisco and NASSCOM FutureSkills Prime for 20,000 cybersecurity interns. Cisco reports 26,051 applications, 19,830 shortlisted and 12,835 completions. Open to 2nd and 3rd-year engineering students. |
| 2025 | Run with NASSCOM FutureSkills Prime and AICTE; internship started 17 June 2025; 2 months; 1st to 3rd-year students. News sites reported a 31 May 2025 application deadline. |
| 2026 | Registration 1 April to 25 May 2026; courses done by 15 June; industry session 15 to 25 June; project submitted by 10 July; certificates from 31 July 2026 |
We could not confirm dates for 2022 to 2024 from Cisco or AICTE sources, so they are left out.
What changed over the years
- The 2021 pilot was cybersecurity only. By 2026 there were three tracks, adding Networking and Artificial Intelligence.
- Eligibility widened from 2nd and 3rd-year engineering students (2021) to 1st to 3rd-year students of any technical degree or diploma, including BCA, B.Sc and MCA (2026).
- The 2026 cycle opened registration on 1 April, and its course work had to be done by 15 June, about when the 2025 internship was only starting (17 June).
More options: summer internships for students, hackathons and hiring challenges, and current Cisco openings on talentd.
Cover photo: Cisco Systems Bangalore by Ashwin Kumar from Bangalore, India, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does Cisco virtual internship registration open?
Who is eligible for the Cisco virtual internship?
Is the Cisco virtual internship paid?
Which tracks does the Cisco virtual internship offer?
My college is not a Cisco Networking Academy. Can I apply?
How is the Cisco virtual internship evaluated?
About the Author
Azhar Khan
Founder | Editor | Senior Fullstack Engineer
Azhar Khan is the founder of Talentd, and a Sr. FullStack Engineer, currently working for USA Fintech company. Passionate about helping people find their dream jobs and grow their careers.
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