Key Takeaways

• NATS is the National Apprenticeship Training Scheme, run by the Ministry of Education. It gives graduates and diploma holders on-the-job training for six months to one year.
• Establishments with 30 or more people must engage apprentices (2.5% to 15% of manpower). For establishments with 4 to 29 people, it’s optional.
• Minimum stipends were revised from 11 September 2025: Rs 12,300 for graduates, Rs 10,900 for diploma holders and Rs 9,600 for vocational apprentices. The Central Government share continues at Rs 4,500 per month for graduate/degree apprentices and Rs 4,000 per month for technician apprentices until further orders.
• NATS registration and every later step, from contracts to progress records, claims and certificates, happens on the NATS 2.0 portal.

What Is NATS and How Does It Work?

So, what is NATS, in one line? It’s a Government of India scheme, implemented by the Department of Higher Education under the Ministry of Education, that places fresh graduates and diploma holders in workplaces for practical training. NATS stands for the National Apprenticeship Training Scheme, and it’s easy to remember: a paid, structured learning period in a real business.

The NATS apprenticeship scheme works under the Apprentices Act, 1961 and the Apprenticeship Rules, 1992. For the central government’s share of the stipend, training runs for at least six months and up to one year.

Four regional bodies, the Boards of Apprenticeship Training and Practical Training, implement it from Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata and Kanpur. The NATS 2.0 portal was launched on 30 July 2024. It also introduced direct benefit transfer (DBT), so the government’s share of the stipend goes directly into apprentices’ bank accounts.

Think of an HR manager who hires a fresh graduate after two or three interview rounds, only to find three months in that the fit isn’t right. It happens a lot. A year-long apprenticeship flips that around, because you watch someone do the actual work before making any long-term call. Honestly, that observation window is what I’d call the game-changer in entry-level hiring.

Who Can Participate in the NATS Programme?

Both sides need to qualify. Here’s the NATS eligibility picture for apprentices and for you as an employer.

Eligibility Criteria for Apprentices

The NATS eligibility criteria for apprentices are fairly broad. Graduates and diploma holders in Engineering/Technology can take part. Graduates and diploma holders in general streams, such as BA, BSc, BCom, BBA, BCA, and Nursing, who completed their qualification in the last five years can also apply.

The Ministry of Education also describes the scheme as meant for candidates with no relevant prior work experience. Institutions that enrol students must be approved by statutory authorities.

Eligibility Requirements for Employers

NATS eligibility requirements for employers depend mainly on size. Both private and public sector establishments can take part.

• For establishments with 4 to 29 people, engaging apprentices is optional.
• With 30 or more people, you must engage apprentices at 2.5% to 15% of your overall manpower.
• You can engage apprentices from anywhere in the country and choose any convenient selection method.
• If you go beyond the 2.5% limit, CSR funds can be used to pay those apprentices’ stipends.

Before any of this, your establishment needs to complete NATS registration on the official portal.

What Are the Benefits of NATS for Employers?

Once you know the answer to “what is NATS?”, the next question is whether it makes business sense. For many employers, it does. NATS for employers is, at its core, a cost-sharing talent pipeline.

• Shared cost: The Government of India shares a fixed portion of the stipend through DBT, currently Rs 4,500 per month for graduate/degree apprentices and Rs 4,000 per month for technician apprentices, until further orders.
• A one-year look at talent: You get time to see how an apprentice performs before offering regular employment. You’re not required to offer a permanent job at the end of the training.
• Flexible selection: You choose the method that suits your hiring process.
• Wider talent reach: You can engage apprentices from across the country, including for niche areas like defence and aerospace.
• Proven outcomes: A study covering 2015 to 2020, cited by the Ministry of Education, found that about 79% of apprentices got employment with their training establishment or elsewhere after completing the apprenticeship.

Apprentices who complete one year of training also receive a Certificate of Proficiency. For graduate and diploma apprentices, that year counts as experience for employment under central and state establishments. It makes your apprenticeship slots more attractive to good candidates.

NATS Apprenticeship Training Process

Here’s how a typical NATS apprenticeship cycle runs on the portal at nats.education.gov.in:

1. Enrol your establishment. Complete establishment enrolment as part of NATS registration. The portal’s Manual section has user guides for each transaction.
2. Apprentices enrol. Students register on the portal. Institutions can also enrol students in bulk from their login.
3. Select candidates. Apprentices apply for opportunities, and you select the ones you want.
4. Create the contract. The apprenticeship contract is created on the portal.
5. Train and record progress. Raise records of progress and add performance details during the training.
6. Submit claims. File claims for the government’s share of the stipend.
7. Issue the certificate. A digital Certificate of Proficiency is issued after successful completion.

Two practical points. Apprentices are entitled to leave and holidays as observed in the state where your establishment is located. And if you can’t find a suitable candidate for a slot, the portal allows swapping the category and interchanging the subject-field within the allotted training slots.

NATS Stipend and Financial Support

The stipend is where most employers want clarity. The minimum prescribed stipend under the Apprenticeship Rules, 1992 was revised effective 11 September 2025. It was the first revision since the rates set in April 2021.

Apprentice category	Earlier minimum (from 1 April 2021)	Revised minimum (from 11 September 2025)
Technician (vocational) / vocational certificate holder/sandwich course (diploma institutions)	Rs 7,000	Rs 9,600
Technician/diploma holder/sandwich course (degree institutions)	Rs 8,000	Rs 10,900
Graduate/degree apprentice (any stream)	Rs 9,000	Rs 12,300

After the September 2025 revision, BOAT clarified that the existing Central Government share continues at Rs 4,500 per month for graduate/degree apprentices and Rs 4,000 per month for technician apprentices until further orders. The amount is routed through DBT. You’re free to pay more than the minimum, but the government share stays at these fixed amounts. You bear the rest of the stipend, including anything above the prescribed minimum.

Government contribution details can change, so confirm the current share with your regional Board of Apprenticeship Training or on the portal before you finalise budgets.

Employer Responsibilities Under NATS

Taking on apprentices means more than paying a stipend. Your core responsibilities are:

• Paying at least the prescribed minimum stipend to every apprentice.
• Engaging apprentices within the required band if you have 30 or more people.
• Creating the apprenticeship contract on the portal.
• Recording progress and performance during training.
• Submitting claims for the government’s share of the stipend.
• Giving apprentices the leave and holidays observed in your state.

It’s a bit like onboarding a new hire with a clear paper trail. Skip the trail, and the claims and certificates get messy.

NATS Compliance Requirements for Employers

NATS for employers also comes with a compliance side, and it’s the one most often overlooked. The NATS scheme runs under the Apprentices Act, 1961 and the Apprenticeship Rules, 1992, so these requirements apply:

• Engagement band: Establishments with 30 or more people must engage apprentices within 2.5% to 15% of manpower.
• Minimum stipend: Pay at or above the revised rates effective 11 September 2025.
• Portal records: Complete establishment enrolment, contract creation, records of progress and claim submission on the NATS portal.
• Leave and holidays: Follow the state’s observed leave and holidays.

Rules and rates get revised from time to time, so check the portal or your regional board for the latest circulars.

NATS vs NAPS: Key Differences Employers Should Know

Many employers who search “what is NATS” also land on NAPS, the National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme. NAPS was launched in August 2016 and has continued as NAPS-2 since 2022-23, with partial stipend support by the Government of India. The two schemes aren’t interchangeable.

Point	NATS	NAPS
Administered by	Ministry of Education (Department of Higher Education), via BOAT/BOPT	Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship
Main beneficiaries	Graduate engineers, diploma holders, non-engineering graduates	ITI pass-outs, school-level and vocational-certificate apprentices
Stipend support	Fixed Central Government share of Rs 4,500 per month (graduate/degree) and Rs 4,000 per month (technician) until further orders	Partial stipend support by the Government of India
Portal	nats.education.gov.in	apprenticeshipindia.gov.in

A simple way to choose: look at who you want to train. Graduates, diploma holders and vocational certificate holders (technician vocational apprentices) fall under NATS. ITI pass-outs and school-level candidates point toward NAPS.

Common NATS Compliance Mistakes Employers Should Avoid

A few slips come up again and again:

• Not updating stipends after the revision. The minimum rates changed from 11 September 2025, so older payout structures need a second look.
• Expecting reimbursement for the full stipend. The government share is a fixed amount (Rs 4,500 or Rs 4,000 per month), not a percentage of the stipend, so you bear the balance, including any extra you choose to pay.
• Overlooking the mandatory band. If you have 30 or more people, engaging apprentices isn’t optional.
• Skipping portal steps. Contracts, progress records and claims all live on the portal, so incomplete entries can hold things up.
• Ignoring state leave rules. Apprentices are entitled to the leave and holidays observed in your state.

NATS Apprenticeship Compliance Checklist for Employers

• Complete NATS registration for your establishment on the portal.
• Check your headcount against the optional (4 to 29) and mandatory (30 or more) thresholds.
• Confirm apprentices meet the eligibility conditions (graduated within the last five years, no relevant prior work experience).
• Set stipends at or above the revised minimums effective 11 September 2025.
• Create the apprenticeship contract on the portal for every apprentice.
• Record progress and performance regularly.
• Submit claims for the government’s share of the stipend.
• Apply the state’s leave and holiday rules.
• Make sure each apprentice’s digital Certificate of Proficiency is issued on completion.

Conclusion

By now, the question “what is NATS?” should have a clear answer: a Ministry of Education scheme that helps you train graduates and diploma holders, with the government sharing a fixed monthly portion of the stipend. The NATS scheme works best when you treat compliance as part of the plan, from the right stipend to the portal records.

Not sure where to start, or wondering whether your establishment meets the thresholds? comply360° is certified under NATS and offers apprenticeship compliance support for NAPS and NATS, so you don’t have to work through the portal alone.

Frequently Asked Questions About NATS

What is NATS?

NATS stands for National Apprenticeship Training Scheme. The full form of NATS says it all: it’s a Government of India programme under the Ministry of Education that gives graduates and Diploma holders practical, on-the-job training in industry. In simple terms, NATS is a paid apprenticeship where the government shares part of the stipend.

Who is eligible for NATS apprenticeship training?

NATS eligibility criteria cover graduates and diploma holders in Engineering/Technology and general streams such as BA, BSc, BCom, BBA, BCA, and Nursing. They should have completed their qualification in the last five years and have no relevant prior work experience.

Who can hire apprentices under NATS?

Private and public sector establishments can engage NATS apprentices. It’s optional for establishments with 4 to 29 people and mandatory for those with 30 or more, who must engage apprentices within 2.5% to 15% of their manpower.

How do employers register for NATS?

NATS registration for employers is done on the official portal, nats.education.gov.in, through establishment enrolment. The portal’s Manual section has user guides for enrolment, contract creation, progress records and claims. Your regional Board of Apprenticeship Training or Practical Training can also help.

How long does NATS apprenticeship training last?

Under the NATS apprenticeship scheme, training with the central government’s share of the stipend lasts at least six months and up to one year. Apprentices who successfully complete one year receive a Certificate of Proficiency.

What stipend is paid to NATS apprentices?

From 11 September 2025, the minimum prescribed stipend is Rs 12,300 per month for graduate apprentices, Rs 10,900 for technician (diploma) apprentices and Rs 9,600 for technician (vocational) apprentices. The Central Government share continues at Rs 4,500 per month for graduate/degree apprentices and Rs 4,000 per month for technician apprentices through DBT until further orders, and employers can pay more at their own cost.