DEFENCE, PARAMILITARY AND SEA
Indian Navy 10+2 B.Tech Cadet Entry
Train as a naval engineer officer with a B.Tech degree at the Naval Academy.
Physics, Chemistry, Maths; 70% in PCM After Class 12 Defence
Facts checked 29/10/2026
Is this for me?
People in this work enjoy
- Understanding how engines, electronics and machines really work
- Leading a team and being trusted with big responsibility young
- Travel, ships, the sea and a life with a strong sense of purpose
It may not suit you if you dislike
- Long stretches away from family at sea, with frequent transfers
- A strict medical and fitness bar, with no relaxation on medical grounds (reported)
- Very few seats, and a rank-based shortlist followed by a tough SSB, so many good students do not get in
- Class 11–12 subjects
- Class 12 (or equivalent) with Physics, Chemistry and Maths. You need at least 70% aggregate in PCM and at least 50% in English in either Class 10 or Class 12. Only unmarried Indian citizens can apply (reported, January 2027 course notice).
- First degree
- 4-year B.Tech at the Indian Naval Academy (INA), Ezhimala, Kerala, in Mechanical or Electronics & Communication Engineering. The degree is reported to come from JNU. A few Mechanical cadets are reported to be moved to Naval Architecture & Shipbuilding at Kochi.
- Entrance exams
- No separate Navy written exam (reported). You must have appeared in JEE Main (NTA), and your All India rank is used to shortlist you. Then comes the SSB interview, which lasts several days, and a medical.
- Licence or registration
- None needed to start working.
Subjects that keep this door openClass 11–12: Physics + Chemistry + Mathematics.Physics, Chemistry, Maths; 70% in PCM.Way back: You can add the missing subject later as an extra subject (for example through NIOS) and still apply, but check the exam's and college's rules. A longer road, but open.Check your subjects against every career
What the work is like
A Technical Branch officer looks after the ship's engines, power systems, electronics, sensors and communication gear. You also lead a team of sailors, plan maintenance and work on ships, submarines and shore bases.
A day in the work
On a ship, your day may begin with checking the engine room or electronics logs from the night. You then walk through the machinery with your team of sailors and plan repairs. A part fails and you have to fix it with what is on board, often with little sleep. On shore, you may be in a workshop, a classroom or a dockyard, planning maintenance, doing drills and studying for the next course.
The path, step by step
- Step 1 · Class 9–11Choose PCM in Class 11 and aim for 70% or more in Physics, Chemistry and Maths. You also need 50% in English in Class 10 or 12. Start building stamina and healthy habits now, because the medical is strict. (reported — check with the official body)
- Step 2 · Class 12Appear in JEE Main (NTA) in the year the Navy notice names. The Navy does not hold its own written test. Your JEE Main All India rank decides whether you get an SSB call. Class 12 board marks still need to meet the 70% PCM rule. (reported — check with the official body)
- Step 3 · After JEE Main resultsApply online on the Navy recruitment portal (joinindiannavy.gov.in) when the notice opens. For the January 2027 course the window ran from 29 May 2026 and was reportedly extended to 29 June 2026. Applying was free (reported). Candidates had to be born between 2 July 2007 and 1 January 2010 (reported). Dates move each year, so always read the current notice. (reported — check with the official body)
- Step 4 · SSB interviewThe Navy sets a rank cut-off from the JEE Main list and calls those above it to the Services Selection Board. For the January 2027 course, SSB centres were reported at Bengaluru, Bhopal, Kolkata and Visakhapatnam, from September 2026. The SSB tests thinking, personality, group tasks and a personal interview over several days. (reported — check with the official body)
- Step 5 · Medical and merit listThose recommended by the SSB go for a detailed medical. Reports say no relaxation is given on medical grounds. The final merit list uses SSB marks and medical fitness. Joining depends on police and character verification and on seats being available. (reported — check with the official body)
- Step 6 · 4 years at EzhimalaYou train as a cadet and then midshipman. You study B.Tech and do naval and military training together at the Indian Naval Academy. PIB reports on passing-out parades describe midshipmen of the INA B.Tech course finishing training here.
- Step 7 · CommissioningAfter passing out you are commissioned as a Sub Lieutenant with a Permanent Commission in the Technical Branch (reported). Then come more specialist courses and postings on ships and at shore bases. (reported — check with the official body)
Ways in
- 10+2 B.Tech Cadet Entry (this entry)Class 12 PCM, then JEE Main rank, then SSB, then a 4-year B.Tech at Ezhimala. The Navy runs it and gives a Permanent Commission in the Technical Branch.
- NDA, Navy wing (UPSC)Also open after Class 12. You apply through the UPSC NDA exam, then SSB, then train at the National Defence Academy. It is a separate scheme with its own notice, so check upsc.gov.in. (reported)
- After a B.Tech or other degreeYou can join the Navy later through graduate-level officer entries. These need a degree first and have different eligibility, so read the Navy's notices for each one. (reported)
Time and money
| Stage | Time | Government college or body | Private college | Help available |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class 11–12 (PCM, JEE Main) | 2 years | Your school's fees | — | — |
| JEE Main and SSB interview, then medical (no Navy written exam) | Several days for SSB; medical as scheduled | Check the notice | — | — |
| 4-year B.Tech at Indian Naval Academy, Ezhimala (Mechanical or E&C) | 4 years | Free: Navy reportedly pays tuition, books, uniform, food and stay (reported) | — | Cadets get a stipend during training; amount reported differently, check the notice |
| Commissioning as Sub Lieutenant, Technical Branch | After passing out | Paid: Pay Level 10, ₹56,100 basic (reported) | — | Paid salary plus Military Service Pay and allowances (reported) |
Total timeAbout 4 years after Class 12, plus SSB and medical selection time
Total costReported to be free for the whole B.Tech, with a stipend; no fee figures are given on the page.
Good to knowSeats are few (reportedly 60 for January 2027) and no application fee was reported; check the current notice on joinindiannavy.gov.in.
Fees from: Indian Navy recruitment portal (check the current notice here; cost terms above are reported by secondary sites, not read from the notice). Fees change every year — check the college's own fee page before you pay.
What people earn
Official pay
Sub Lieutenant on commissioning: Pay Level 10, ₹56,100 basic (7th CPC, range up to ₹1,77,500), plus Military Service Pay and other allowances (reported). Cadets get a stipend during training, but reports differ on the amount, so check the current notice.
Pay rises with rank and years of service, and allowances change a lot with where you are posted, such as sea duty, a hard area or a submarine.
Myth and fact
Myth: You need to crack a tough Navy written exam, or just score 70% in Class 12, to get in.
Fact: The Navy holds no separate written exam for this entry (reported). Your JEE Main rank shortlists you, then the SSB and medical decide the rest. So a good JEE Main rank matters as much as Class 12 marks.
For girls and students with disabilities
Women can apply. The January 2027 course reportedly kept up to 8 of 60 seats for women, 4 in each branch (reported). The notice also reportedly allows no relaxation on medical grounds. Check the current notice for the exact physical and medical standards. At the Spring 2026 passing-out parade at Ezhimala, 66 of 311 officers commissioned across all courses were women (reported).
Try it now
- Class 7–9Study floating and sinking (buoyancy) in your Science textbook. Then build a small boat from foil or a bottle and test how much weight it can carry.Open link ↗
- Class 10–12Sign up on MY Bharat (15+) and join one volunteering or team activity this month. The SSB looks at teamwork, leadership and how you speak in a group.Open link ↗
- College or afterTake a free NPTEL course on thermodynamics or basic electronics. It gives you a head start on Mechanical or Electronics B.Tech topics, and it is useful if you choose another route.Open link ↗
Good to know
- The number of seats is small. The January 2027 course notice reportedly had 60 vacancies: 30 Mechanical and 30 Electronics & Communication. Up to 8 of them were for women, 4 in each branch (reported).
- The Navy has recently announced courses more than once a year, for example January 2026, July 2026 and January 2027 (reported). Which year's JEE Main counts is written in each notice, so read it before you plan.
- A Permanent Commission is a long career, not a short contract. But it is a commitment, and one report says marrying during training can lead to discharge and a refund of training costs. Check the current notice for this rule. (reported)
- If you also want civilian engineering options, still sit JEE Main and keep your B.Tech counselling choices open.