Indian Oil Corporation Limited (Pipelines Division), a Government of India Undertaking, has invited applications for around 500 apprentices across seven trades: Technician Apprentice (Mechanical, Electrical, Telecommunication & Instrumentation), Trade Apprentice (Assistant-Human Resource, Accountant), Data Entry Operator (Fresher Apprentices) and Domestic Data Entry Operator (Skill Certificate Holders). The stipend is as prescribed under the Apprentices Act and the Corporation's guidelines, and the training lasts 12 months. Candidates apply on the NATS or NAPS portal and then on the Indian Oil Pipelines portal, from 6 November 2026 to 5 December 2026.
The official notification does not specify the amount of the stipend or the application fee, and it does not give the number of seats trade by trade.
About the Pipelines Division
Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) describes itself in the notice as the largest commercial enterprise in India and a Fortune "Global 500" company. Through its Pipelines Division it proposes to engage apprentices in technical and non-technical trades, as a measure of Skill Building Initiative for the Nation, under The Apprentices Act, 1961.
Seats by Region, State and Location
The notice calls the seats tentative. The total of 500 is the sum of the five regional totals (116 + 149 + 110 + 46 + 79).
Who Can Apply
Applications are invited from eligible Indian Nationals. Candidates select their trade on the basis of their qualification at the time of application, and can apply for one Trade Code only.
Qualification
Disciplines accepted for Technician Apprentice (Telecommunication & Instrumentation):
- Electronics & Communication Engineering
- Electronics & Telecommunication Engineering
- Electronics & Radio Communication Engineering
- Instrumentation & Control Engineering
- Instrumentation & Process Control Engineering
- Electronics Engineering
- The qualification must already be passed on 30.11.2026, the date for reckoning eligibility. Candidates whose result is awaited on that date are not eligible.
- The Graduate/Diploma qualification must be a regular full-time course in the relevant trade/discipline from a recognized University/Institute, with minimum 50% aggregate marks (45% for SC/ST and PwBD candidates for the posts reserved for them).
The notice also lists the PwBD categories (minimum 40% disability) for which each trade is suitable. The disability certificate must be in terms of Rule 18(1) and 20 of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Rules, 2017, in Form V, VI or VII.
Age
Minimum 18 years and maximum 24 years as on 30.11.2026, which is the date for reckoning any eligibility criteria. The upper age limit is relaxed as follows.
Who Cannot Apply
- Candidates whose qualification was acquired through part-time, correspondence or distance education.
- Candidates with higher professional qualifications such as BE/B.Tech., MBA, CA, LLB, MCA or equivalent, or pursuing a higher qualification and having completed it on or before joining apprenticeship training.
- Candidates who have undergone apprenticeship training earlier or are pursuing it under the Apprentices Act.
- Candidates with training and/or job experience of one year or more after attaining the qualification.
- Candidates who have completed five years after acquiring the prescribed qualification as on 30.11.2026.
- Candidates applying for more than one Trade Code; such applications will be summarily rejected.
Reservation
Reservation of seats to SC/ST/OBC (Non Creamy Layer)/PwBD/EWS candidates is as per the applicable Govt. guidelines. The minimum qualification marks are relaxed by 5% for SC/ST/PwBD candidates considered against reserved positions. If EWS seats in a trade cannot be filled from EWS candidates, they may be filled by unreserved category candidates on the basis of position in the Panel cum Merit List. SC/ST/OBC (NCL) candidates applying for an Unreserved seat are considered on the standards applicable to General category candidates. For OBC (NCL), the caste named in the certificate must be in the Central List of OBCs of the respective State, and the Non-Creamy Layer status must be valid on the cut-off date.
Candidates should refer to the official notification for the discipline-specific eligibility of each trade.
Stipend and Training Period
The apprenticeship lasts 12 months from the date of engagement. The monthly stipend is as prescribed under the Apprentices Act, 1961/1973, the Apprentices Rules 1992/2019 as amended from time to time, and the Corporation's guidelines. During the apprenticeship no other monetary or non-monetary benefit such as accommodation, HRA, conveyance or medical facility is admissible; apprentices arrange these themselves. The terms of engagement are governed by The Apprentices Act, 1961 and Rules 1992 as amended. On completion, the Corporation has no obligation to offer employment, and an apprentice cannot claim employment on that ground.
How to Apply for IOCL Recruitment 2026
Applying is a two-portal process. The NAPS/NATS application must come first, before registering on the Indian Oil Pipelines portal. No other mode of application is accepted.
- Register as an apprentice on the portal for your trade: https://www.apprenticeshipindia.gov.in (NAPS) for Data Entry Operator (Fresher Apprentices) and Domestic Data Entry Operator (Skill Certificate Holders); https://nats.education.gov.in/student_register.php (NATS) for the three Technician Apprentice trades and for Trade Apprentice (Assistant-Human Resource/Accountant).
- Log in with your User ID/Email ID and apply for the opening with the Establishment ID of IOCL for your region, between 06.11.2026 and 05.12.2026. Check that your personal details, educational details, category and aggregate percentage show correctly; corrections are made through the NAPS/NATS office.
- Register on the Indian Oil Pipelines portal https://plapps.indianoilpipelines.in/ using the same email ID and mobile number as on NAPS/NATS; both must stay valid for the whole apprenticeship period.
- In Part-I, enter basic details such as name and category and create a password. A registration number is sent to your email ID/SMS; log in again with it and your password.
- In Part-II, upload a scanned colour photograph (20-50 KB, JPG) and signature in black ink (10-30 KB, JPG), enter educational qualification and experience details, and submit. This is the final submission and details cannot be changed afterwards.
- Mention the NAPS/NATS registration/enrolment number in the Indian Oil Pipelines portal, and complete this application by 05.12.2026.
- Take a printout of the filled-in online application.
The portal also hosts FAQs/How to apply options, and the disability certificate format, caste/tribe/EWS certificate formats and the pre-engagement medical guidelines are under its Downloads section.
Selection Process
Selection is by a Panel cum Merit List, followed by document verification and medical fitness. There is no written test or personal interview.
Panel cum Merit List
All applicants for a post who meet the eligibility criteria are ranked in descending order of the percentage of marks (aggregate of all subjects of all years/semesters) in the essential qualification for the trade applied. Where CGPA/OGPA or letter grade is awarded, the equivalent aggregate percentage must be entered in the application. A certificate from the Board/University/Institute stating the equivalent percentage must be uploaded and produced at document verification, otherwise candidature is not considered. If the Board does not follow a conversion formula, a certificate to that effect is needed, and the aggregate grade score of each semester/year divided by the number of semesters/years is considered. Ties go to the older candidate, and if the date of birth is also the same, to the higher Matriculation percentage. Candidates are shortlisted purely on the information furnished in the online portal.
Document Verification and Medical Fitness
The list of candidates provisionally selected for Document Verification and Medical Fitness will be published on the IOCL website. Candidates receive a link on their registered email to give their preference for the place of document verification and three preferences for the place of apprenticeship training in the applied State (wherever applicable). Allotment of the training place is based on merit. Originals are verified before joining, and an offer of engagement is issued only to candidates whose documents, including the medical fitness certificate, are in order.
Documents Required
At document verification, bring the originals with a self-attested copy of each, plus a passport size photograph and self-attested copies of certificates/mark sheets:
- Xth Standard/Matriculation certificate/mark sheet from the Education Board, as proof of date of birth (no other document is accepted for date of birth).
- Latest caste certificate in the Government prescribed proforma, issued by the Competent Authority, for reserved category candidates.
- For OBC-NCL: latest caste certificate not more than 12 months old from 30.11.2026, in the Govt. of India proforma, stating the candidate is not in the creamy layer.
- Semester-wise/year-wise mark sheets of ITI (NCVT/SCVT)/HSC/Graduation/Diploma in Engineering.
- Final ITI (NCVT/SCVT) Certificate/HSC/Graduation/Diploma in Engineering from the Board/Authority/Institute.
- First page of the Bank passbook of an Aadhaar seeded account, Aadhar Card, PAN Card and a cancelled cheque leaf.
- Pre-Engagement Medical Fitness Certificate.
Important Instructions
- Incomplete applications, those received by any other mode, those not meeting eligibility and those received after the last date are treated as rejected. Canvassing of any kind disqualifies the candidate.
- Candidature is provisional. Incorrect, false or suppressed information cancels candidature, and engagement is liable to be terminated if it is found after engagement.
- Engagement is subject to medical fitness as per IndianOil's pre-engagement standard. Persons with benchmark disabilities, except for the identified disability, must be within the normal range of all other physical standards.
- Only one mobile number and one email ID can be used per candidate, and the same ones cannot be used by another candidate for this notification.
- Suppression of information on possessing or pursuing a higher qualification makes a candidate ineligible at any stage, and engagement can be terminated at any time.
- Mere application, document verification or empanelment gives no right of engagement. Seats may remain unfilled for unsuitability or insufficient candidates, and the management's decision is final.
- Disputes fall under the sole jurisdiction of the courts at Kolkata (ERPL), Ahmedabad (WRPL), Chandigarh (NRPL), Chennai (SRPL) and Cuttack (SERPL).
- Queries relevant to the advertisement, and not already answered in it, go to the regional email: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] or [email protected].
- All corrigenda, addenda and updates will appear only on https://www.iocl.com/apprenticeships.
Official Links
