POWERGRID Engineer Trainee Recruitment 2026: Apply Online for 319 Posts Through GATE 2026, Check Eligibility, Fee and Last Date

The Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (POWERGRID) has opened applications for the POWERGRID Engineer Trainee Recruitment 2026 through GATE 2026, under Advertisement No. CC/04/2025 and Vacancy Notice No. 2 dated 3 November 2026. Through this recruitment, 319 Engineer Trainee posts will be filled — Electrical 250, Civil 48 and Computer Science 21. Applications started on 3 November 2026 and the last date to apply online is 18 November 2026. There is no separate written test: shortlisting is on GATE 2026 marks, followed by Group Discussion and Personal Interview. One warning first: only GATE 2026 is valid — GATE 2025 or earlier will not work — and Electronics is not included in this round. All details below are from the official notifications. Candidates tracking another PSU trainee opening can also read our NLC India GET Recruitment 2026 guide.

POWERGRID Engineer Trainee Recruitment 2026 – Overview

POWERGRID Engineer Trainee Recruitment 2026 – Important Dates

The powergrid engineer trainee recruitment 2026 through gate last date is 18 November 2026, and the same deadline applies to the fee. Do not confuse this with the old tentative window of February–March 2026 printed in the detailed advertisement — that window was superseded by Vacancy Notice No. 2, and only the November 2026 dates apply.

POWERGRID Engineer Trainee Vacancy 2026 – Discipline-Wise and Category-Wise Details

Electrical carries most of the posts — 250 of the 319. The full break-up from Vacancy Notice No. 2 (the count includes 10 backlog vacancies):

Category-wise total posts. Unreserved 126, OBC (Non-Creamy Layer) 83 plus 8 backlog, Scheduled Caste 48 plus 2 backlog, Scheduled Tribe 22 and EWS 30 — 309 regular vacancies plus 10 backlog vacancies, totalling 319. PwBD reservation is horizontal and sits inside these vacancies: 10 posts in Electrical and 2 in Civil. Electronics is not in this vacancy notice — the detailed advertisement had listed Electrical, Electronics, Civil and Computer Science as tentative disciplines, but Vacancy Notice No. 2 gives posts only for Electrical, Civil and Computer Science, so Electronics candidates are not eligible in this round.

POWERGRID Engineer Trainee Eligibility Criteria 2026

GATE 2026 is compulsory. Only GATE 2026 normalised marks (out of 100) in the matching paper are valid — GATE 2025 or earlier is not valid. The candidate must have appeared in and qualified in the corresponding GATE 2026 paper, with qualifying marks as declared by the GATE 2026 organising body. The matching papers are Electrical — EE, Civil — CE and Computer Science — CS.

Qualification. Full-time B.E. / B.Tech / B.Sc (Engineering) from a recognised university or institute, with a minimum of 60% marks or equivalent CGPA. For SC, ST and PwBD candidates, the requirement is relaxed to pass marks for posts reserved for the respective category. Final-year or final-semester students expecting their final results by 14 August 2026 are eligible, provided they have at least 60% in aggregate up to the pre-final examination.

Eligible branches. Electrical — Electrical, Electrical (Power), Electrical and Electronics, Power Systems Engineering, Power Engineering (Electrical). Civil — Civil Engineering. Computer Science — Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Information Technology.

Age limit. The upper age limit is 28 years as on 31 December 2025, and only Indian nationals aged 18 years or above are eligible.

Age relaxation. OBC (Non-Creamy Layer) candidates get 3 years and SC/ST candidates get 5 years. PwBD candidates get 10 years (UR/EWS), 13 years (OBC) and 15 years (SC/ST) for posts reserved for the respective category. Ex-Servicemen and riot victims are covered as per Government of India directives.

POWERGRID Engineer Trainee Application Fee 2026

How the fee is paid. The fee of Rs 500 is non-refundable and is paid online only. The application is complete only on fee payment where applicable — incomplete, draft or unpaid applications will be rejected. Ex-Servicemen are exempt as per the detailed advertisement CC/04/2025.

How to Apply for POWERGRID Engineer Trainee Recruitment 2026

1. Visit the official POWERGRID website at powergrid.in and open the Careers section, then the Engineer Trainee–2026 recruitment link (Advt. No. CC/04/2025).
2. Register on the POWERGRID Recruitment Portal with the GATE 2026 Registration Number and Application Number exactly as on the GATE 2026 admit card.
3. Fill personal, qualification and category details carefully — the name and date of birth must match the matriculation certificate, and the email ID given will be used for all communication.
4. Upload a latest colour passport-size photograph (.jpg, up to 50 KB), scanned signature (.jpg, up to 30 KB), DOB proof, caste or disability or age-relaxation certificate and qualification final-passing certificate in PDF (final-year candidates: last semester or year marksheet).
5. Pay Rs 500 online if applicable, then click Submit.
6. Note the unique POWERGRID Registration Number generated on submission and take a printout of the application. No hard copy is to be sent by post.
7. Submit by 18 November 2026, 23:59 hrs — an application once submitted may be edited or updated till the last date of submission, but no request for amendment in the GATE Registration Number, GATE Application Number, name or any other details will be entertained after final submission.

Documents at GD / Interview. At the Group Discussion and Interview, candidates must carry the GATE 2026 admit card, the original GATE 2026 score card and a valid original photo ID — photocopies are not accepted. For queries, the notification gives the email [email protected].

POWERGRID Engineer Trainee Selection Process 2026

Stage 1 – Shortlisting on GATE 2026 marks. Candidates are shortlisted category-wise on GATE 2026 normalised marks. There is no separate POWERGRID written test.

Stage 2 – Group Discussion. Shortlisted candidates face a Group Discussion. The Group Discussion carries 3% weightage and has no qualifying marks.

Stage 3 – Personal Interview. The Personal Interview carries 12% weightage. Candidates must qualify in GATE 2026 and in the Personal Interview separately to be empanelled. The qualifying marks in the interview are 40% for UR/EWS and 30% for OBC (NCL), SC, ST and PwBD candidates.

Final merit. The final weightage is GATE 2026 85% + Group Discussion 3% + Personal Interview 12% = 100%. A Psychometric Assessment may be conducted for GD/PI-shortlisted candidates and its results are used only as input during the interview. Empanelment is in category-wise merit order, and in a tie the elder date of birth is placed first. Appointment is subject to being found medically fit in the Pre-Employment Medical Examination under POWERGRID norms. The Group Discussion and Interview may be conducted in Hindi or English. Posting can be anywhere in India or abroad, mostly at site locations.

POWERGRID Engineer Trainee Salary 2026

During the 1-year training period, Engineer Trainees are placed in the pay scale of Rs 40,000 – 1,40,000 (IDA), with basic pay of Rs 40,000 plus IDA, HRA and perks at 12% of basic pay — an approximate CTC of Rs 11 lakh per annum. After successful completion of training, trainees are absorbed as Engineer in the E2 scale of Rs 50,000 – 1,60,000 (IDA), with an approximate CTC of Rs 22.5 lakh per annum. The CTC varies by posting location and terms. The advertisement fixes only the pay scale — it publishes no exact “in-hand” figure, so in-hand amounts on unofficial websites are estimates varying with current DA/HRA rates.

Service agreement bond. Selected candidates must complete the training and serve POWERGRID for at least 3 years. The bond amount is Rs 5,00,000 for General, OBC-NCL and EWS candidates and Rs 2,50,000 for SC, ST and PwBD candidates. For a comparison with another PSU engineering opening, read our IOCL Pipeline Apprentice Recruitment 2026 guide.

Important Links

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How many vacancies are there in POWERGRID Engineer Trainee Recruitment 2026?

There are 319 Engineer Trainee posts: Electrical 250 (243 regular + 7 backlog), Civil 48 (45 regular + 3 backlog) and Computer Science 21, under Advertisement No. CC/04/2025 and Vacancy Notice No. 2 dated 3 November 2026. Category-wise, the total is UR 126, OBC (NCL) 83 plus 8 backlog, SC 48 plus 2 backlog, ST 22 and EWS 30.

What is the powergrid engineer trainee recruitment 2026 through gate last date?

The last date to apply online is 18 November 2026, 23:59 hrs, and the last date for online fee payment is also 18 November 2026. Applications opened on 3 November 2026 at 17:00 hrs on the official POWERGRID website, powergrid.in. Only 7 days remain from 11 November 2026.

Is GATE 2025 valid for POWERGRID Engineer Trainee Recruitment 2026?

No. Only GATE 2026 normalised marks (out of 100) in the matching paper are valid — GATE 2025 or earlier is not valid, as stated in both official documents. The matching papers are Electrical — EE, Civil — CE and Computer Science — CS, and the candidate must have appeared in and qualified in the corresponding GATE 2026 paper.

Can Electronics candidates apply for POWERGRID Engineer Trainee 2026?

No. Electronics is not included in this vacancy notice. The detailed advertisement had listed Electrical, Electronics, Civil and Computer Science as tentative disciplines, but Vacancy Notice No. 2 dated 3 November 2026 gives posts only for Electrical, Civil and Computer Science. Electronics candidates are not eligible in this round.

What is the age limit for POWERGRID Engineer Trainee Recruitment 2026?

The upper age limit is 28 years as on 31 December 2025, and only Indian nationals aged 18 years or above are eligible. Relaxation is 3 years for OBC (Non-Creamy Layer), 5 years for SC/ST, and 10 years (UR/EWS), 13 years (OBC) and 15 years (SC/ST) for PwBD candidates, for posts reserved for the respective category.

What is the qualification for POWERGRID Engineer Trainee posts?

Full-time B.E. / B.Tech / B.Sc (Engineering) from a recognised university or institute, with a minimum of 60% marks or equivalent CGPA — relaxed to pass marks for SC, ST and PwBD candidates against posts reserved for them. Final-year or final-semester students expecting their final results by 14 August 2026 are eligible, provided they have at least 60% in aggregate up to the pre-final examination.

What is the application fee for POWERGRID Engineer Trainee Recruitment 2026?

The fee is Rs 500, non-refundable, payable online only, for General, OBC (Non-Creamy Layer) and EWS candidates. SC, ST, PwBD, Ex-Servicemen and departmental candidates are exempt. The application is complete only on fee payment where applicable — incomplete, draft or unpaid applications will be rejected.

What is the selection process for POWERGRID Engineer Trainee Recruitment 2026?

There is no separate POWERGRID written test. Selection is by shortlisting on GATE 2026 normalised marks, followed by Group Discussion and Personal Interview. The final weightage is GATE 2026 85%, Group Discussion 3% and Personal Interview 12%. Candidates must qualify in GATE 2026 and in the Personal Interview separately — the interview qualifying marks are 40% for UR/EWS and 30% for OBC (NCL), SC, ST and PwBD candidates.

What is the salary of POWERGRID Engineer Trainee posts?

During the 1-year training, the pay scale is Rs 40,000 – 1,40,000 (IDA) with an approximate CTC of Rs 11 lakh per annum. After successful training, trainees are absorbed as Engineer in the E2 scale of Rs 50,000 – 1,60,000 (IDA), with an approximate CTC of Rs 22.5 lakh per annum. Selected candidates must also execute a service bond of Rs 5,00,000 (General, OBC-NCL, EWS) or Rs 2,50,000 (SC, ST, PwBD) to serve for at least 3 years after training.

How to apply for POWERGRID Engineer Trainee Recruitment 2026?

Apply online only at powergrid.in — open the Careers section and the Engineer Trainee–2026 link, then register on the POWERGRID Recruitment Portal with the GATE 2026 Registration Number and Application Number exactly as on the GATE 2026 admit card. Fill the form, upload the photograph, signature and certificates, pay Rs 500 if applicable, and submit by 18 November 2026, 23:59 hrs. No hard copy is to be sent by post.

For more government jobs and daily updates, browse the Latest Jobs section of New Sarkari Results, and always verify the final details in the official Vacancy Notice No. 2 dated 3 November 2026 on powergrid.in before applying.

Written by Ravi Singh

Ravi Singh is the Editor (Government Jobs) at New Sarkari Results, an independent information portal for Sarkari Result, Sarkari Naukri, admit card, answer key, syllabus and admission updates. He has 10+ years of experience covering Government Jobs, Railway Jobs, SSC, Banking, Teaching, Police, Defence and state recruitment boards. Every update on this site is verified directly from the official notification PDF issued by the commission or board — never from third-party aggregators.