Checked 25 September 2026. From each PSU’s own advertisement and cut-off notices (2025–2026). PSU recruitment terms change every cycle; read the live advertisement before applying.
Lists of “PSUs recruiting through GATE” are usually copied from year to year, and for mechanical engineers many are wrong. We checked each PSU’s own documents for the 2025–27 cycles. NTPC, GAIL, NPCIL and NHPC recruit mechanical engineers through GATE. POWERGRID’s and Grid-India’s GATE-2027 advertisements take no mechanical graduates, IOCL now recruits through its own computer-based test, BHEL uses its own exam, and Coal India’s GATE drive was for mining only. This guide sets out who recruits, how many, on what terms, and the cut-offs they published.
NTPC, NPCIL advertisements and cut-off notices.
Where other pages get this wrong
POWERGRID’s Engineer Trainee 2027 advertisement recruits Electrical, Civil, Computer Science and Electronics graduates — not Mechanical — and IOCL recruits engineers through its own computer-based test.
Commonly published instead: Lists that include POWERGRID and IOCL among PSUs hiring mechanical engineers through GATE.
POWERGRID advertisement CC/03/2026 (24.09.2026); IOCL advertisements of 05.09.2025 and 14.08.2026.
Who recruits mechanical engineers through GATE
| PSU | GATE year | Mechanical posts | Key terms |
|---|---|---|---|
| NTPC EET-2025 | 2025 | 210 (UR 148, OBC 27, SC 25, ST 10) | ≥65% (55% SC/ST/PwBD); age ≤27; basic ₹40,000; bond ₹5 lakh for General/EWS/OBC (₹2.5 lakh SC/ST/PwBD) |
| NTPC EET-2027 | 2027 only | Included; detailed advert to follow | Previous years’ GATE marks not accepted |
| GAIL ET 2026 | 2026 | 16 (UR 8, EWS 1, OBC 3, SC 4) | ≥65% (5% relaxation SC/ST/PwBD); age ≤26; pay ₹60,000–1,80,000; GD/interview |
| GAIL ET 2027 | 2027 | Included; advert in February 2027 | Final-year students may apply; age ≤26 on 18.03.2027 |
| NPCIL ET-2026 | 2024, 2025 or 2026 | 125 of 330 | Stipend ₹74,000 in training; then Level 10; bond ₹9,18,000; selection on interview only |
| NHPC special drive 2026 | 2024 or 2025 | 26 (OBC 18, SC 5, ST 3) | Reserved categories only; pay ₹50,000–1,60,000 |
Official advertisements: NTPC 14/24 and 11/26; GAIL (20.02.2026 and 01.09.2026); NPCIL NPCIL/HQ/HRM/ET/2026/02; NHPC NH/Rectt./02/2026.
Which PSU recruitments take your GATE ME year?
Pick the GATE year of your score. The list shows the 2025–27 PSU recruitments for Mechanical graduates that accept it, from each PSU’s own advertisement.
Official PSU advertisements and notices (sources below). POWERGRID and Grid-India ET-2027 take no Mechanical graduates; IOCL and BHEL recruit through their own computer-based tests; Coal India’s GATE-2025 drive was Mining only. Cut-offs are on different scales (All India Rank, GATE score) and cannot be compared across PSUs.
Who does not
| PSU | Why not |
|---|---|
| POWERGRID ET-2027 | Electrical, Civil, Computer Science and Electronics only |
| Grid-India ET-2027 | Electrical and Computer Science only |
| IOCL (2025, 2026) | Own computer-based test, not GATE (mechanical graduates eligible for the CBT) |
| BHEL (2025) | Own computer-based exam; 70 Mechanical Engineer Trainee posts |
| Coal India MT 2026 | GATE-2025 drive for Mining only |
Official advertisements: POWERGRID CC/03/2026; Grid-India CC/26/2026; IOCL 2025 and 2026; BHEL 03/2025; Coal India 01/2026. ONGC, BPCL, SAIL and others were not checked for this cycle — do not assume either way without their own advertisement.
The cut-offs they published
| NTPC list | UR | OBC | SC | ST |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EET-2024 (GATE 2024) DV shortlist | 919 | 953 | 3,306 | 5,239 |
| EET-2025 first shortlist (16.04.2026) | 587 | 434 | 1,369 | 1,428 |
| EET-2025 replacement list | 816 | 513 | 1,881 | 2,785 |
| EET-2025 as on 07.07 and 27.07.2026 | 839 | 613 | 2,024 | 2,785 |
NTPC cut-off notices: GATE All India Ranks, Mechanical. EWS shows as not applicable in 2025 because the ME roster had no EWS posts. An OBC cut-off better than UR is what a small reserved roster (27 posts) produces.
| NPCIL ET-2026, Mechanical | UR | EWS | OBC | SC | ST |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GATE-score cut-off for interview | 618 | 444 | 552 | 445 | 378 |
| Interview marks, selected (03.07.2026) | 74.285 | 69.714 | 70.000 | 66.000 | 65.428 |
| Interview marks, after waitlist 2 (25.08.2026) | 72.286 | 68.714 | 68.833 | 64.875 | 64.571 |
NPCIL notices of 19.05.2026 (GATE-score cut-off, scanned — values read from the page image), 03.07.2026 and 25.08.2026. NPCIL: “No weightage will be given to GATE Score” in final selection.
NTPC notices. A higher AIR means a later rank was reached as selected candidates declined.
Two lessons. The cut-offs are on different scales — NTPC uses All India Rank, NPCIL a GATE score for shortlisting and then interview marks — so they cannot be compared across PSUs. And first lists are not final: NTPC’s UR cut-off moved from rank 587 to 839 as offers were declined. With GATE 2027 scores, a mechanical rank around the top 800–900 has been the range where NTPC offers arrive; in 2026 that was about 50 marks (888 candidates scored 50 or more; see our marks-and-rank guide).
When each PSU announced
| Date | Notice |
|---|---|
| 16 Apr – 27 Jul 2026 | NTPC EET-2025 Mechanical AIR cut-off lists (GATE 2025) |
| Apr 2026 | NPCIL ET-2026 applications (10–30 April), using GATE 2024, 2025 or 2026 |
| 19 May 2026 | NPCIL GATE-score cut-off for interview |
| 3 Jul – 25 Aug 2026 | NPCIL selection and waitlist interview cut-offs |
| 1 Sep 2026 | GAIL first advertisement for ET through GATE 2027 (Mechanical included; detailed advert February 2027) |
| 2026 | NTPC Ad 11/26: EET-2027 through GATE 2027 (Mechanical included) |
| 24 Sep 2026 | POWERGRID ET-2027 through GATE 2027 — no Mechanical |
PSU notices and advertisements listed in the sources.
The pattern for GATE 2027 is already visible. NTPC and GAIL have both said their next mechanical intakes will use GATE 2027 scores only, so a candidate hoping for either must sit GATE 2027 regardless of an older score. NPCIL, by contrast, accepted three years of scores in its 2026 drive and selected purely on interview. GAIL’s 2027 notice also lets final-year 2026-27 students apply, with an age limit of 26 on 18 March 2027.
Before a PSU application window opens
Check each point against the PSU’s own advertisement.
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NPCIL’s rule deserves emphasis because it changes preparation: in its 2026 drive the GATE score only decided who was called to interview (UR 618 for Mechanical), and “No weightage will be given to GATE Score” in the final selection. Past the shortlist, the interview marks alone decided the order — the UR selection line was 74.285 out of 100 at the first list.
Terms worth reading before applying
PSU offers come with conditions that change the value of the job. NTPC’s EET-2025 carried a service bond of ₹5 lakh (₹2.5 lakh for SC/ST/PwBD); NPCIL’s a bond of ₹9,18,000 with three years’ service. Age limits are tight and dated — 26 or 27 on a stated day — and most require 65% in the B.E./B.Tech. NPCIL accepted GATE scores from any of three years; NTPC’s 2027 drive accepts only GATE 2027. Keep each PSU’s advertisement and check the cut-off dates against your own date of birth before the application window, not after. GAIL’s 2026 drive also set minimum interview marks — 60% for UR, OBC and EWS, 55% for SC and ST, 50% for PwBD — so the interview is a hurdle of its own, not a formality.
Practise it, don't just read it
For NTPC, a rank near the top 800 has been needed. Our GATE ME quizzes help build the marks in the subjects that decide it.
The ProSyllabus GATE ME library has topic quizzes on engineering mathematics, statics, strength of materials, theory of machines and vibrations, fluid mechanics and turbomachinery, thermodynamics, conduction, convection and radiation, refrigeration and air conditioning, and manufacturing — the first quiz is free.
Which PSUs recruit mechanical engineers through GATE 2027?
NTPC (EET-2027) and GAIL have announced GATE-2027 drives including Mechanical; NPCIL and NHPC used GATE 2024–26 scores in 2026.
Does POWERGRID recruit mechanical engineers through GATE?
Not in its ET-2027 drive, which covers Electrical, Civil, Computer Science and Electronics.
Does IOCL recruit through GATE?
Not in the 2025 and 2026 drives we checked — both used IOCL’s own computer-based test; check each new advertisement.
What was the NTPC GATE cut-off for Mechanical?
For EET-2025, UR All India Rank 587 in the first list, extended to 839.
What was the NPCIL GATE score cut-off for Mechanical?
618 for UR in the 2026 interview shortlist.
Does NPCIL use the GATE score in final selection?
No — final selection is on the interview only.
How many Mechanical posts did NTPC advertise?
210 in EET-2025.
Does BHEL recruit through GATE?
No — BHEL uses its own computer-based exam.
Can I use a GATE 2025 score for NTPC 2027?
No — the EET-2027 advert accepts only GATE 2027.
What is the NTPC bond for engineers?
₹5 lakh (₹2.5 lakh for SC/ST/PwBD) in EET-2025.
Can final-year students apply for GAIL through GATE 2027?
Yes — GAIL’s first notice allows 2026-27 final-year students, age up to 26 on 18.03.2027.
What is the NPCIL training stipend?
₹74,000 a month in the 2026 drive, then Scientific Officer/C at Level 10.
Does GAIL hold an interview for GATE recruits?
Yes — group discussion and/or interview, with minimum interview marks of 60% (UR/OBC/EWS), 55% (SC/ST) and 50% (PwBD) in 2026.
Does NHPC recruit mechanical engineers through GATE?
Its 2026 special drive took 26 Mechanical posts for OBC, SC and ST candidates using GATE 2024 or 2025.
More in this series
Sources
- official — NTPC — careers (EET-2025 through GATE 2025, AIR cut-off notices; Ad 11/26 through GATE 2027)
- official — GAIL — Executive Trainee through GATE 2026, detailed advertisement (20.02.2026)
- official — GAIL — Executive Trainee through GATE 2027, first advertisement (01.09.2026)
- official — NPCIL — Executive Trainee 2026 detailed advertisement NPCIL/HQ/HRM/ET/2026/02
- official — NPCIL — ET 2026 GATE-score cut-off and interview-marks cut-off notices (May–Aug 2026)
- official — NHPC — Trainee Engineer special recruitment drive, Advt NH/Rectt./02/2026
- official — GATE 2026 Statistical and Performance Report (IIT Guwahati, PDF)
- official — POWERGRID — Engineer Trainee 2027 through GATE 2027, CC/03/2026 (24.09.2026)
- official — Grid-India — ET through GATE 2027, CC/26/2026
- official — IOCL — latest job openings (Engineers/Officers through its own CBT, 2025 and 2026)
- official — BHEL — ET & ST Advt 03/2025 (own CBE)
- official — Coal India — MT Advt 01/2026 (GATE 2025, Mining only)
official = a document published by the conducting body. reported = a news or coaching site we could not check against an original. Where sources disagree this page says so rather than picking one.
