Pay After Placement is back at Masai: what's different this time
Pay After Placement is open again at Masai, this time with MICA. Here is what is new, what stays the same, and the terms that shape the programme.
Quick answer: Pay After Placement (PAP) is back at Masai through the MICA Business Analytics with AI programme, a certificate programme offered with MICA, Ahmedabad. You pay ₹99 for the qualifier test and ₹10,000 plus GST to enrol. After a five-week Foundation Unit, the main fee is due only once you join an eligible job, which is an offer of ₹3 LPA or more, typically. Placement support is part of the programme, and a job is not guaranteed.
Fees and terms as of 27 October 2026.
What pay after placement means at Masai
In a pay after placement course you defer most of the fee instead of paying it at the start. At Masai that works like this: ₹99 for the qualifier test, ₹10,000 plus GST to enrol, and ₹5,000 for the placement-readiness unit. The rest of the programme fee falls due after you join an eligible job.
That rest is a fixed amount, not a share of your salary. It depends on the band your placement CTC falls in:
| Placement CTC | PAP fee (plus GST) |
|---|---|
| ₹3.00 to ₹4.99 LPA | ₹1,80,000 |
| ₹5.00 LPA and above | ₹2,50,000 |
You can pay in one go or in 36 monthly EMIs through Masai's NBFC partners. Lender charges are the learner's, so the EMI route costs more in total. The breakdown of MICA Business Analytics with AI fees works out the total for every outcome.
Where PAP came from
Pay After Placement is how Masai started. The first coding batches studied without an upfront fee and paid after they were placed, under what Masai first called an income share agreement. Those earlier PAP programmes were run by Masai on its own. This programme brings the model back in collaboration with MICA, Ahmedabad.
So "PAP is back" means you can again join a Masai programme and defer the main fee until you have a job. This time an institute is involved, and the programme leads to a MICA Certificate.
What is new this time
Two things set this programme apart from the earlier PAP programmes.
- A partner institute. The earlier programmes were run by Masai on its own. This one is offered with MICA, Ahmedabad, which lists it on its own website. MICA faculty teach in it, and it leads to a MICA Certificate, earned with at least 60% in each unit along with the other completion criteria.
- A small upfront cost. The earlier programmes ran with zero upfront fees. This one has the ₹99 qualifier test, the ₹10,000 enrolment fee and the ₹5,000 placement-readiness fee, all non-refundable.
What stays the same
The core promise is the same as before: you don't pay the main programme fee until you have joined a job that meets the programme's threshold.
How the programme is structured
- The first five weeks are the Foundation Unit. Unit 1 builds business foundations and SQL, and it ends with a Foundation Test. To go on to Unit 2 you need to meet the attendance, assignment and assessment thresholds and hold a CIBIL score of 700 or above. The guide to the MICA Masai qualifier test and Foundation Unit walks through each admission step.
- The placement-readiness unit is in person. Unit 6, called Elevate, is held offline in Bengaluru and attendance is mandatory. Food, stay and travel aren't covered by its ₹5,000 fee.
- The PAP fee is charged only on an eligible placement. If you meet every requirement, take part in placements and Masai is unable to place you in an eligible role, the PAP fee isn't triggered. What you have already paid (₹99, ₹10,000 and the Elevate fee if you got that far) isn't refunded.
Terms that shape the programme
- Eligible offers can't be rejected. Rejecting one triggers the fee as if you had accepted it, and company and location preferences aren't accepted. The guide on when you pay in pay after placement covers the trigger in full.
- A job you find yourself counts. The fee pays for the teaching and upskilling, so it applies however you secure the job.
- Leaving can carry a drop-off fee. Walking away, or being removed for missing attendance or assignment requirements, can bring a drop-off fee that grows as the programme progresses: the non-refundable ₹10,000 enrolment fee in the first five weeks, ₹50,000 from week 6, and ₹1,80,000 from about week 20.
- Placement support is not a job guarantee. Masai provides resume work, mock interviews, communication training, the Elevate unit and access to its hiring network. Placements happen over several months after the programme ends.
Who the programme is for
The programme is for graduates and above, aged 20 to 28, who can commit around 25 hours a week for about six months. It suits graduates building towards a first analyst role, working professionals moving from reporting to analysis, and career switchers. It prepares you for roles such as business analyst, marketing analyst and product analyst. Three guides help with the path: what a business analyst does, business analyst vs data analyst and how to become a data analyst in India.
Read next
- Pay after placement vs ISA, upfront fees and education loans: how the four ways to pay compare.
- MICA Masai Business Analytics with AI: who does what: faculty, certificate, placement and EMI roles.
- MICA Business Analytics with AI curriculum, fees and eligibility and is a pay after placement course worth it.
Frequently asked questions
Is Pay After Placement free?
No. You pay ₹99 for the qualifier test, ₹10,000 plus GST to enrol, and ₹5,000 if you reach the Elevate unit. The PAP fee, ₹1,80,000 or ₹2,50,000 plus GST, is due only after an eligible placement.
Who can apply?
Graduates and above, aged 20 to 28, with a laptop. The programme is designed for graduates, working professionals and freshers.
Does MICA run the programme?
Masai offers the programme in collaboration with MICA. MICA lists it on its website, MICA faculty teach in it, Masai's industry mentors support it, and it leads to a MICA Certificate. Masai provides placement support and the Elevate unit.
Is placement guaranteed?
No. The programme provides placement support, not a job guarantee. Timing depends on your performance, your interview readiness and hiring demand.
Where are the fees and terms?
The fee bands, EMI figures and FAQ are on the Pay After Placement Certification Programme in Business Analytics with AI page. The terms and acceptance letter reach you by email after the qualifier test, and the Placement Agreement arrives with your Foundation Test result.
To begin, register for the qualifier test on the MICA Business Analytics with AI course page.
Placement support is not a job guarantee. Past record is no guarantee of future prospects. The programme is offered by Masai in collaboration with MICA, Ahmedabad.