A first-of-its-kind initiative to recognize, connect, and empower PhD scholars pushing the boundaries of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning.

Amazon AI100 is a initiative to identify and certify India's top 100 PhD researchers in AI/ML. Selected scholars receive the Amazon AI100 Researcher Certificate, gain direct access to mentorship from Amazon's Senior Scientists and unlock potential sponsorship for their research work.

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What's In It For You

1. Amazon AI100 Researcher Certificate Receive an official Amazon certificate recognizing you as one of India's Top 100 AI Researchers — a mark of research excellence that signals distinction to the global academic and industry community.
2. Mentorship & Networking with Amazon Senior Scientists Get direct access to Amazon's Senior Scientists and Principal Researchers. Participate in mentorship sessions, research discussions, and career guidance conversations with leaders solving AI problems at scale.
3. AWS Compute Credits* Receive AWS compute credits to power your research — access to scalable cloud infrastructure for training models, running experiments, and accelerating your doctoral work.
4. Research Sponsorship* Amazon may sponsor the research work of up to 2 selected scholars whose research aligns with Amazon's science priorities and where the respective business team agrees to support. Sponsorship decisions are subject to alignment between the scholar's research area and Amazon's active research directions, and are made at Amazon's sole discretion.
5. Exclusive Amazon AI100 Swag Kit Receive a curated exclusive swag package as an Amazon-recognized Top 100 AI Researcher including branded merchandise reserved only for this cohort.
*Benefits listed above are subject to availability, business alignment, and Amazon's discretion. Inclusion in the AI100 cohort does not guarantee sponsorship or compute credits.

How It Works:

Stage

What Happens

Timeline

Key Details

Stage 1: Registration

PhD scholars apply via the initiative portal

July 3rd 2026

Apply here

Stage 2: Evaluation & Selection

Amazon Scientists evaluate applications and identify the Top 100 researchers based on research quality, impact, and relevance

Jul–Aug 2026

Results announced: Mid-September 2026

Stage 3: Recognition & Rewards

All 100 selected scholars receive: Amazon AI100 Certificate; Exclusive Swag Kit; 

Post-announcement (Sep 2026)

Applies to all 100 selected scholars

Stage 4: Research Sponsorship & AWS Credits

Amazon Scientists evaluate research alignment with Amazon's science priorities; Engage with faculty advisor to determine next steps on sponsorship & Mentorship access with Amazon Senior Scientists

Post-selection

May include: AWS compute credits; Fellowship support; Travel grants for conferences; May require MOU/contract as agreed with faculty advisor
Note: Stage 4 rewards are at Amazon's discretion and subject to business & Faculty Advisor alignment. Selection into top 100 does not guarantee rewards in Stage 4.

Who Should Apply

You are eligible if you meet ALL of the following:
  • Currently enrolled as a PhD scholar (3rd year or above) at one of the 20 listed institutions
  • Research focus in AI, Machine Learning, Deep Learning, NLP, Computer Vision, Robotics, or related fields
  • Demonstrated research output through publications, projects, or open-source contributions

How It Works

  1. Apply — Submit your latest resume, Google Scholar profile, and details of your project/research work through this portal
  2. Evaluation — Amazon's research panel evaluates applications against selection parameters
  3. Results — Top 100 researchers are announced by mid-September 2026
 

Selection Parameters

Applications are evaluated across the following dimensions:

Parameter
What We Look For
Research Quality
Depth and rigor of published work; publications in top-tier AI/ML venues
Research Impact
Real-world applicability and influence of your work; industry adoption; open-source contributions
Innovation & Originality
Novel approaches, new methods or architectures introduced; first-author papers; benchmark improvements
Domain Expertise
Depth and focus in your chosen AI/ML subfield; invited talks; survey papers authored
Collaboration & Community
Contributions to the broader research ecosystem; co-authored papers across institutions; workshop organization; peer reviews
Academic Trajectory
Growth potential and research progression; advisor reputation; fellowship history; research grants secured

Note: These parameters serve as a guiding framework. Final selection decisions are made by Amazon's evaluation panel at its sole discretion.

Eligible Institutions

This initiative is exclusively open to PhD scholars from the following 20 premier research institutions in India:
#

Institution

1

Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore

2

Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras

3

Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay

4

Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi

5

Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur

6

Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur

7

Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee

8

Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati

9

Indian Institute of Technology (Indian School of Mines), Dhanbad

10

Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Hyderabad

11

Indian Institute of Technology (BHU), Varanasi

12

Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS), Pilani

13

International Institute of Information Technology (IIIT), Bangalore

14

Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology (IIIT), Delhi

15

International Institute of Information Technology (IIIT), Hyderabad

16

National Institute of Technology (NIT), Tiruchirappalli

17

National Institute of Technology (NIT), Warangal

18

Delhi Technological University (DTU), Delhi

19

Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Vellore

20

Netaji Subhas University of Technology (NSUT), Delhi
 

FAQs

Q: Why is my college name not mentioned in the eligible institutes?
A: Only those colleges which are mentioned on the competition page are eligible to participate. The eligible colleges have been selected by the organisation based on their hiring policies and other parameters and unfortunately we cannot add more colleges to the list.
Q: Who is eligible to apply?
A: This initiative is best suited for PhD researchers in their 3rd year or above, with a demonstrated body of research work in AI/ML. You must be currently enrolled at one of the 20 listed institutions.
Q: What do I need to submit?
A: Your latest resume, Google Scholar profile link, and details of your research/project work.
Q: When will results be announced?
A: Results will be announced by mid-September 2026.
Q: Is there a time commitment for this initiative?
A: No. There is no ongoing time commitment. You simply need to apply before the deadline.

Ready to be recognized as one of India's Top 100 AI Researchers?

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