ONGC Apprentice Recruitment 2026: 3047 Posts Across 25 Work Centres — Eligibility, Stipend & How to Apply

1. Introduction: ONGC Apprentice Recruitment 2026

Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC) has notified 3,047 apprenticeship seats under Advertisement No. ONGC/APPR/1/2026, dated 29 October 2026. Online applications are accepted from 29 October 2026 to 20 November 2026 through the Government of India's NAPS portal (for trade and non-engineering diploma/graduate disciplines) or the Ministry of Education's NATS portal (for graduate and diploma engineering-linked disciplines). There is no written exam and no interview — selection is based purely on marks in the qualifying examination, followed by document verification, with results scheduled for 15 December 2026.

The seats are spread across 25 work-centre tables in six sectors — Northern, Mumbai, Western, Eastern, Southern and Central — covering 42 trade and discipline variants under the Apprentices Act, 1961. Candidates who have passed Class 10, Class 12, an ITI trade, a three-year engineering diploma, or a graduate degree (B.A., B.Com, B.Sc, BBA, B.E./B.Tech) can apply, provided they are between 18 and 24 years of age on 29 November 2026 and are domiciled in, or studied in, an eligible district of the work centre they choose. Training lasts 12 months and carries a monthly stipend of ₹8,200 to ₹12,300 depending on qualification.

This cycle is larger than the previous one. The 2025 notification (ONGC/APPR/1/2025) opened with 2,623 seats, was later reported at 2,743 seats, and had its deadline extended from 6 November to 17 November 2025. The 2026 notification starts at 3,047 seats — roughly 300 more than the revised 2025 figure. The Western Sector alone accounts for 1,166 seats (38%), and the four busiest work centres — Nazira & Sivasagar, Ankleshwar, Ahmedabad and Mehsana — together hold 1,490 seats, nearly half the national total.

Each part of this recruitment has a dedicated deep-dive on Vacancy Vedika — vacancy breakdown, eligibility, age relaxation, stipend, selection process and the application walkthrough. Links appear at the end of each relevant section below.

2. About ONGC

ONGC is India's largest crude oil and natural gas producer and a Maharatna Central Public Sector Enterprise under the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas. Its core business is exploration and production (E&P) of oil and gas, both onshore and offshore, in India and — through its overseas arm ONGC Videsh Ltd (OVL) — abroad.

The apprenticeship programme is run through ONGC's Skill Development Centres, which the notification lists under the Office of Head of Institute and Skill Development Centre at Delhi, Mumbai, Vadodara, Sivasagar and Chennai. Apprentices are placed at operational assets — drilling and production sites in Gujarat and Assam, offshore support bases around Mumbai, refineries and terminals such as Hazira and Uran, and regional offices — which is why the trade mix differs sharply from one work centre to the next.

3. Important Dates

The application window runs for 23 days, from 29 October 2026 to 20 November 2026, and ONGC has scheduled the result for 15 December 2026. Note that the eligibility cut-off date for age and for the three-year passing rule is 29 November 2026 — nine days after the application deadline — so calculate your age and passing date against 29 November, not against the last date of application.

4. Vacancy Details — Sector, Trade & Work Centre

ONGC has notified 3,047 apprentice seats: 2,546 under NAPS and 501 under NATS. The Western Sector (Gujarat) holds the largest share with 1,166 seats, followed by the Eastern Sector (Assam) with 674. The notification does not publish a category-wise (UR/OBC/SC/ST/EWS) split; it states only that reservation for SC, ST, OBC, EWS and PwBD candidates will follow Government of India guidelines.

Sector-Wise Summary

Trades With the Most Seats

Fitter (393 seats) and Electrician (361 seats) are the two largest trades, together accounting for nearly a quarter of all seats. ITI-based trades dominate the list, but two graduate disciplines — Secretarial Office Assistant (any graduate, 262 seats) and Accounts Executive (B.Com, 119 seats) — also rank in the top ten.

Work-Centre-Wise Vacancy Tables

The tables below list every trade at every work centre, grouped by sector. Each work centre's figures have been added up and matched against the sub-total printed in the notification. Where the PDF lists the same trade twice at one centre, both rows are shown as printed, with a note.

Northern Sector — 191 Seats

Dehradun — 138 Seats

Delhi — 28 Seats

Note: The notification lists "Civil Executive" here without specifying Graduate or Diploma. It is a NATS discipline — confirm the required qualification on the NATS portal listing.

Jodhpur — 5 Seats

OVL Delhi — 20 Seats

Mumbai Sector — 482 Seats

Goa — 25 Seats

Hazira — 138 Seats

Note: Mechanical Executive (Graduate) appears twice in the official table (11 + 10 = 21 seats in total).

Mumbai — 200 Seats

Note: "Civil Executive" and "Electronics Executive" are listed without a Graduate/Diploma suffix, and "Mechanic (Motor Vehicle)" is not separately defined in the qualification table. Check the NAPS/NATS listing for the exact requirement.

Nhava — 25 Seats

Panvel — 25 Seats

Uran — 69 Seats

Western Sector — 1166 Seats

Ahmedabad — 331 Seats

Ankleshwar — 392 Seats

Cambay — 64 Seats

Mehsana — 301 Seats

Vadodara — 78 Seats

Note: Computer Science Executive (Oil & Gas) appears twice (1 + 2 = 3 seats) and Electronics Mechanic appears twice (2 + 1 = 3 seats) in the official table.

Eastern Sector — 674 Seats

Jorhat — 135 Seats

Nazira & Sivasagar — 466 Seats

Silchar — 73 Seats

Southern Sector — 267 Seats

Chennai — 40 Seats

Kakinada — 76 Seats

Karaikal — 98 Seats

Rajahmundry — 53 Seats

Central Sector — 267 Seats

Agartala — 200 Seats

Bokaro — 33 Seats

Kolkata — 34 Seats

All vacancies are tentative — ONGC may change trade-wise numbers as per requirement.

5. Eligibility Criteria, NAPS/NATS Mapping & Domicile Rules

To apply, you need four things at once: the exact qualification for your chosen trade, an age between 18 and 24 years (with relaxation) on 29 November 2026, residence in — or a qualification from — an eligible district of your chosen work centre, and no previous apprenticeship or one-year-plus work experience after qualifying. Missing any one of these makes the application invalid, even if it is accepted by the portal.

Qualification by Education Level

Trade-Wise Qualification, Portal & Stipend Table

The scheme column tells you which portal to apply on. This is where most candidates slip: the five "Executive (Oil & Gas)" diploma trades are on NAPS, but Civil Executive (Diploma) is on NATS. Likewise, Store Keeper and Accounts Executive are NATS even though they are non-engineering graduate posts, while Secretarial Office Assistant and Executive HR are NAPS.

*ITI stipend depends on the duration of your ITI course: ₹9,600 for a one-year course and ₹10,560 for a two-year course. Check the duration printed on your NCVT/SCVT certificate. Highlighted rows are NATS disciplines that candidates commonly try to apply for on NAPS.

Domicile Rule: Eligible Districts for Each Work Centre

You can apply to a work centre only if you are a domicile of an eligible district, or you obtained your qualifying certificate from an institution in one. Either condition is enough — a Bihar resident who completed ITI in Ahmedabad can apply to Gujarat centres. Most centres accept any district of the state, but five centres restrict eligibility to specific districts.

Other Eligibility Conditions

• Qualifications from recognised boards only: ITI/vocational certificates from NCVT or SBTE-recognised institutions; degrees approved by UGC, AICTE or other statutory bodies. Qualifications through distance education are accepted.
• You must not have completed three years since passing your qualifying examination, counted on 29 November 2026.
• You must not have done, or be currently doing, an apprenticeship under the Apprentices Act, 1961.
• For technician (diploma) apprenticeship, one year or more of training or job experience after qualifying makes you ineligible.
• Apply for only one trade at one work centre.

6. Age Limit & Relaxation

General candidates must be at least 18 and not more than 24 years old on 29 November 2026 — that is, born between 29 November 2002 and 29 November 2008. The upper limit is relaxed by 5 years for SC/ST, 3 years for OBC (Non-Creamy Layer), and up to 10 years for Persons with Benchmark Disabilities, with the PwBD relaxation stacking on top of the category relaxation.

The notification does not mention any relaxation for ex-servicemen, J&K domicile or EWS candidates. EWS candidates follow the general age limit.

7. Stipend & Training Duration

ONGC apprentices receive a fixed monthly stipend between ₹8,200 and ₹12,300 for 12 months, depending on the qualification category, as prescribed under the Apprentices Act. Graduates earn the most (₹12,300); Class 10 and Class 12 pass trade apprentices earn the least (₹8,200).

Apprenticeship with ONGC does not guarantee a regular job. After the 12 months, apprentices are relieved from the work area, though the apprenticeship certificate under the Apprentices Act carries value in later PSU and private-sector hiring.

8. Application Fee

The ONGC notification does not prescribe any application fee, and registration on both the NAPS and NATS portals is free. You should not pay anyone to "register" or "confirm" your ONGC apprenticeship seat.

9. Selection Process (Merit-Based, No Exam)

ONGC selects apprentices purely on the marks obtained in the qualifying examination — there is no written test, no interview and no skill test. Merit lists are drawn up separately for every trade at every work centre, so you compete only against applicants for the same trade at the same centre.

Which Marks Count?

The notification says that where different evaluation systems are involved (for example, CGPA versus percentage), marks will be considered according to the prescribed procedure. Enter your marks exactly as on your marksheet on the portal.

10. How to Apply Online

Apply online only, between 29 October and 20 November 2026, on the NAPS portal for NAPS trades or the NATS portal for NATS trades. ONGC does not accept applications by post, by hand, or through its own website. Choose a single trade at a single work centre — if you apply to more than one, ONGC will allot at most one at its discretion.

Common Mistakes That Lead to Rejection

11. Medical Fitness

Engagement as an ONGC apprentice is conditional on being declared medically fit under the Apprentices Act, 1961, and ONGC's own rules. The notification does not publish specific medical standards — such as vision or hearing thresholds — so these will be communicated with the offer of engagement.

Many ONGC work centres are active oilfields, drilling sites, gas processing plants and offshore support bases. Trades such as Fitter, Welder, Mechanic Diesel, Instrument Mechanic and Fire Safety Technician involve physical work in hot, noisy and hazardous areas. Candidates with conditions that could affect fieldwork should keep recent medical records ready and declare any disability truthfully if claiming PwBD benefits.

12. General Instructions & Disqualifications

Your candidature remains provisional until your documents are verified, and ONGC can cancel it — or terminate an apprenticeship already under way — if false or suppressed information is found at any stage.

• Read the full notification before applying; the eligibility criteria and selection method are binding.
• Candidates who have already completed, or are undergoing, apprenticeship under the Apprentices Act, 1961, are not eligible.
• For technician apprenticeship, training or job experience of one year or more after the qualifying examination disqualifies you.
• Not more than three years should have passed since your qualifying examination on 29 November 2026. If the result date is not printed on your marksheet, obtain a certificate from your institute's Principal stating the date of result publication.
• ONGC has no obligation to offer regular employment during or after apprenticeship.
• Incomplete applications or those not meeting eligibility are treated as rejected.
• Canvassing in any form disqualifies the candidate.
• Terms and conditions are governed by the Apprentices Act, 1961, and the Apprenticeship Rules, 1992, as amended.
• ONGC may leave seats unfilled if suitable candidates are not available; this creates no claim for engagement.
• Corrigenda and updates will appear only on ongcindia.com, ongcapprentices.ongc.co.in and the NAPS/NATS portals.

Documents to Keep Ready for Verification

13. Frequently Asked Questions

Below are the most commonly asked questions about ONGC Apprentice Recruitment 2026. If your question is not answered here, refer to the official notification or write to ONGC's skill development helpdesk.

14. Important Links

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)