This Indian AI startup is offering internships with Rs 2 lakh stipend and no degree needed

Forget degrees, an Indian AI startup is offering high-paying internships that care only about skill.

Siddharth Bhatia, co-founder and CEO of Puch AI, has announced two fully remote positions, AI Engineer and Growth Magician, with stipends ranging from ₹1 lakh to ₹2 lakh per month. What’s unusual? Applicants don’t need a college degree, a high school diploma, or even a CV.

“We hired a high schooler last month,” Bhatia wrote on LinkedIn and X, stressing that “raw talent and the drive to make an impact” are the only prerequisites.

An application process without resumes

Instead of the traditional job application, candidates can simply comment on Bhatia’s LinkedIn or X post. His invitation to “make muggles ball their eyes out” has turned the process into a live showcase of skills, creativity, and wit.

One full-stack developer pitched themselves as “proficient in the TypeScript ecosystem and exploring Go,” prompting Bhatia to reply, “Why should I hire you?” Another said they had “hijacked growth for a bunch of startups,” while a third highlighted their expertise in machine learning, deep learning, and NLP, praising Puch AI’s integration of LLMs with WhatsApp to reach a billion+ users.

Breaking hiring norms

By opening the doors to high schoolers and self-taught talent, Puch AI is challenging conventional hiring filters. The move reflects a growing trend among India’s youth to pursue skill-first pathways over traditional academic routes.