While April marks the onset of the heat wave in India, for MBA students it opens doors to the industrial exposure they have been vying for, since the moment they stepped into the B-school.
Yes, I am talking about the summer internship. The most awaited two months which mark the end of 1
st year and beginning of senior year. The two months which let you explore the nuances which are at play in the real world outside the books and the lectures we get in the classroom. Mine happened to be in one of India’s biggest conglomerates, Reliance Industries Limited.
It was Day 1 and I stepped into the magnanimous conference hall in Reliance Corporate Park (RCP) Mumbai. RCP is a state-of-the-art system in itself. It took us one whole month to explore the RCP Campus itself. And why not! There is so much to explore. We were made aware of the various businesses that RIL is into. And true to its ideology, RIL basically touches every aspect of our everyday life. It has its presence in all segments of the value chain. And that is one of the advantages of working in RIL for a General Management intern. You get a bird's-eye view of various diversified businesses and ample opportunities to learn.
We were also made aware of the importance of the value system on which the foundation of RIL lies. As a part of our induction, we went to some of the medical centers and other facilities where Reliance Foundation is working. Unlike many organisations, CSR is not just on paper here. CSR exists in letter and spirit. We were awed by the depth of the activities undertaken by Reliance Foundation for the upliftment & betterment of all sections of society.
Once the induction got over, we were introduced to our respective mentors and that was the beginning of the actual internship period. I received a warm welcome from my mentor and the team. I was briefed about my project which happened to be in the R&D division. As I had previously worked as an R&D Engineer, the idea of working with the scientists & engineers in R&D fascinated me. As a part of my project, I interacted with many knowledgeable & experienced people who had a variety of insights on the subject I was working on. These interactions not only helped me in my project, but also enlightened & helped me shape my perspective on project management. I got all the help I needed and more.
I visited various RIL sites for my project. The magnitude and scale of research taking place in RIL is absolutely overwhelming. It was not just a great learning experience, but also an awe-inspiring one. I was constantly guided by my mentor and project guide at every step, which helped me comprehensively analyze my ideas and effectively concretize them.
One of the other highlights of my internship was the visit to Jamnagar refinery. It is figuratively and literally a state-of-the-art structure. All of the interns were awed by the magnanimity and allure of the place. The campus is self-sufficient in itself and the evenings are beautiful. It was indeed a day well spent and a memorable experience.
One of the other perks of being a RIL intern was that we all got invited to watch Mumbai Indians IPL match in Wankhede stadium on the day which happened to be Sachin Tendulkar’s birthday. And the legend graced the occasion with his presence himself there! The day couldn’t get any better than that!
June marked the end of my internship period. We all received heartfelt send-offs from our teams. Besides the learning, we were taking back delightful memories & profound associations forged over this period. It was one experience I would cherish forever.