DRDO DEBEL Graduate Apprentice Recruitment 2026 — 28 Vacancies

The Defence Bio-Engineering & Electromedical Laboratory (DEBEL), a premier DRDO lab in Bengaluru, is hiring 28 Graduate Apprentices for FY 2026-27. If you finished your BE / B.Tech / B.Sc / B.Com / B.Lib degree in 2022 or later as a regular candidate and you don't have one year of work experience, this is a clean entry point into India's defence R&D ecosystem. The monthly stipend is Rs. 12,300, the apprenticeship runs for 1 year, and the last date to apply on the NATS portal is 20 May 2026.

DRDO DEBEL Graduate Apprentice Recruitment 2026 — 28 Posts

DEBEL works on Life Support Systems, Biomedical Devices, Environmental Protection Systems, and Aircrew Protective Systems. Through this Graduate Apprentice scheme, you get hand-on exposure to active defence technology and indigenous development programs. The advertisement number is DEBEL/HRD/Apprentice/2026-27/01 dated 23 April 2026, issued under the Apprentices Act 1961.

Vacancy Breakdown

Who Can Apply?

• Educational qualification: Pass-out graduate degree in the subject you are applying for, completed in 2022 or later as a regular (not distance) candidate.
• No prior apprenticeship: You should not have already done apprenticeship training under the Apprentices Act elsewhere.
• No major work experience: You should not have one year or more of work experience.
• Five-year window: You must join DEBEL within 5 years of passing your graduation.
• NATS enrolment: You must be enrolled and verified on the BOAT NATS portal at mhrdnats.gov.in before applying.

Stipend

• Monthly stipend: Rs. 12,300 per month for the full apprenticeship period.
• No TA / DA for joining is paid.
• Stay and transport in Bengaluru have to be arranged on your own.

Selection Process

1. Merit-based shortlisting on the percentage of marks scored in your graduation degree.
2. Interview / interaction, if required, with a board constituted by the Director, DEBEL.
3. Joining notification — only selected candidates are informed; unsuccessful candidates do not get a separate communication.
4. Antecedent verification at the time of joining.

Number of vacancies is tentative and may be increased or decreased.

How to Apply

1. Register and get verified on the National Apprenticeship Training Scheme (NATS) portal at mhrdnats.gov.in — this is mandatory.
2. Search for the DEBEL listing using NATS User ID: SKABNC000035.
3. Fill in your educational, personal, and contact details accurately.
4. Submit the application before 20 May 2026.
5. For any query, write to hrd.debel@gov.in.

Incomplete or partially filled applications will be rejected.

Important Dates

• Notification date: 23 April 2026
• Application start date: 24 April 2026
• Last date to apply on NATS: 20 May 2026
• Tentative joining date at DEBEL: 1 July 2026
• Apprenticeship duration: 1 year from contract signing

• Assist DEBEL scientists on active R&D projects in life support systems, biomedical devices, or environmental protection systems based on your discipline.
• Handle lab work, instrument operation, and prototype testing under the guidance of the project supervisor.
• Support data collection, documentation, and analysis for indigenous defence technology programs.
• Maintain experiment logs, sample records, and lab inventory in your assigned section.
• Follow DEBEL safety protocols and security guidelines for handling defence-related material.
• Prepare apprentice progress reports and submit them to the HRD department on schedule.
• Complete the full 1-year apprenticeship to receive the apprenticeship completion certificate.