I Spend Hours Analysing Data But Can't Find The Answer Until I Start Talking To People

Arijit Mondal | MDI Gurgaon (PGDM IB 2025–27) | Operations Intern, Tata Consumer Products Ltd.

When I joined Tata Consumer Products Ltd. for my summer internship, I knew I'd be working at an industrial plant. But I had no idea how much those two months would change the way I look at something as ordinary as a packet of Tata Salt or Tata Tea.

As consumers, we only see the final product sitting on a supermarket shelf. We rarely think about everything that happens before it reaches us.

Working inside the plant changed that perspective completely.

From procuring raw materials to processing, quality assurance, production, maintenance, packaging, and logistics, every stage is carefully planned and connected. Every process follows strict Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), and quality isn't just another metric—it's the foundation of everything.

But beyond the machines and processes, what stood out to me were the people.

Whether it was the Plant Manager, the Shift-in-Charge, or the operators on the shop floor, everyone took immense pride in their work because they knew the products they handled would eventually reach millions of households across the country.

I joined expecting to learn about operations.

I left with a much deeper appreciation for products, processes, and, most importantly, the people behind them.

What The Supermarket Shelf Never Tells You

Before my internship, I thought FMCG operations were fairly straightforward.

You manufacture products, package them, and send them into the market.

That's how simple it looks from the outside.

Inside the plant, I realized just how much happens behind the scenes.

Every activity—from procuring raw materials to dispatching finished goods—is planned in detail. Processing, quality control, maintenance, production parameters, packaging, and logistics all depend on one another.

The biggest surprise for me was the importance of SOPs.

The consistency consumers expect from an FMCG brand isn't accidental. It's the result of disciplined processes and constant monitoring at every stage.

Now, every time I see a packet of Tata Tea or Tata Premium on a supermarket shelf, I can't help but think about the entire journey it took to get there.

When Excel Wasn't Enough

My internship project focused on increasing the production yield of Ragi Bites.

Initially, I thought the solution would come from the data.

I spent hours analysing spreadsheets, looking for patterns and trying to identify where production losses were happening.

The numbers told me what was happening.

They couldn't tell me why.

That realization changed the way I approached my project.

Instead of spending more time with Excel, I started spending more time on the shop floor.

Conversations with the floor managers helped me understand the production process stage by stage. To truly understand the reasons behind the losses, I had to see the process the way they did.

From then on, I visited the shop floor no less than three times every day.

Those visits completely changed the direction of my project.

By combining production data with observations from the shop floor, I was able to identify critical loss areas and recommend actionable improvements to my manager.

The biggest lesson I took away from the internship was simple:

Data can point you in the right direction, but sometimes the real answers are found on the ground.

Before Learning The Machines, I Had To Learn How To Walk

If I could go back and give myself one piece of advice before Day 1, it would be this:

Learn the plant before trying to learn the machinery.

There was an entire way of working that I wasn't prepared for.

The plant demanded constant awareness.

You couldn't move around the way you normally would. There were trucks moving through the facility, exposed wires, metal plates, hot ovens, and heavy machinery everywhere.

Personal Protective Equipment became my everyday uniform. Helmets were mandatory while inspecting machinery on elevated platforms, and steel-toe safety shoes quickly replaced formal footwear.

It took time to adjust.

Looking back, I realized that understanding an industrial plant begins long before understanding its machines.

You first learn how to move through the environment, observe carefully, and respect the systems around you.

More Than An Operations Internship

I started the internship hoping to learn how manufacturing plants operate.

I ended it with a completely different perspective.

The biggest takeaway wasn't about production yield or supply chain processes.

It was understanding that operations are built on people as much as processes.

And sometimes, when the spreadsheets stop giving you answers, the best thing you can do is close your laptop, walk to the shop floor, and start talking to the people who know the process best.