My college is in Bangalore….. Well, this is what I tell everyone who asks me where I’m doing my MBA. But I stay in a place called Gottigere which is considered to be a village outside Bangalore although it’s only a few kilometers away from the prestigious IIM Bangalore. Given the location of my room and the fact that I didn’t own a vehicle, I used to rent bikes for exploring Bangalore given my passion for checking out new places. The best bike rental company I was a customer of was by far Royal Brothers Auto Rentals Pvt Ltd. I was thoroughly impressed with their service and recommended it to all my friends whenever we wanted to roam around in Bangalore. Never did I imagine I would be interning in the same company that I was a faithful customer of. Here started my summer internship journey with Royal Brothers.
The moment our Placement Committee floated the form which informed us that Royal Brothers would be coming to hire Summer Interns; I had applied immediately because I wanted to know what made them who they are amidst one of the most competitive businesses that existed in Bangalore, bike rentals. I studied all about their company and built a comprehensive understanding of the company. On the day of the interview, I was well prepared and was confident. I had a 5 minute interview and in 2 days came to know that I was one among three people who would be interning there.
From Day 1, my internship was both extremely hectic and informative. In the course of my internship, I worked in several disciplines of management. I was involved in Marketing, Promotions, Advertising, Customer Interactions, Operations and branding to name a few. My work involved finding locations for 2 new experience centers in the prime parts of Bangalore, streamlining the company’s operations, forming business tie ups and promoting the company to our target customers to increase the reach of Royal Brothers in Bangalore. The things we did in Bangalore also had to be replicated in Hyderabad where sales were slacking, so I had a 15 day stint in Hyderabad too.
After my 2 months of internship, I had a head full of experiences, memories and a face full of tan (because the internship involved working mostly outdoor in the scorching summer months) to show for my work. My biggest learning was
to just ask if you need anything. Almost everyone will be ready to help you. Most of the time, we are just too afraid to ask, maybe for help or for information. But once we develop the courage to ask, no matter how absurd the request, 9 times out of 10, people are ready to help.
My mentor, Mr. Kuldip Purohit, also one of the founders of Royal Brothers, had played an extremely important role in helping me learn what it takes to run a business. He was very keen in sharing his experiences and knowledge with all us interns. His inputs and suggestions were a guiding light many a times in helping us choose between alternatives and take decisions. My internship would not have been the same without his guidance and mentor ship. I believe it is safe to say I am also a Royal Brother now.