Basic Information

  • Name Akshat Taparia
  • Curriculum: DD
  • Year of Study: 4th
  • Company/University of Internship: ITC Limited
  • Role during Internship: KITES Intern(Techno-Managerial Role)
  • Year of Internship (eg. '24 Summers, '23 Winters): ‘24 Summers
  • Mode of Internship (Online/Offline/Hybrid): Offline
  • Duration of Internship: 2 months

Getting into the Internship:

What specific domain or field did you target to get an internship in?

Dual degree students do not have a lot of options to target for non-core companies. I had prepared for quant and analytics profiles as well. FMCG was not something I prepared for initially but seeing the intern season, I thought of applying for day 1 FMCGs as well.

What resources did you utilize to prepare for the tests/interviews?

FMCG in general does not require any external preparation. One can practice some aptitude questions for the screening tests and group discussion topics with your peers. For quant and analytics it was mainly the material provided by analytics club of IIT Bombay( I am an ex-convener so free publicity :p).

Can you elaborate on your interview and the type of questions which were asked?

We had two rounds of interview. The interviews are pretty chill. My first round became a UPSC interview as I had mentioned history and current affairs as one of my hobbies that I like to read about. So for the first 5 minutes, I had to answer rapid fire trivia questions on the same which was super fun. Then they switch to the resume. Be very thorough with your resume and expect questions to be asked in depth. They want to see the approach you take while solving a question they might pose to you. The second round again started on a light note with pleasantries exchanged and questions related to my resume post that. Both round combined should not take more than an hour.

Were there any significant roadblocks or challenges that you encountered during the internship application and selection process? If so, how did you navigate or overcome them?

How did you handle any rejections that you faced (If any) during the internship application process?

Luckily my first interview during the intern season was with ITC and I secured the internship so did not face rejections as of such. All I can say is that stay positive and do not let the intern season get to your head. Remember that you are in college and your primary aim should be your academics and college life :)

During the internship:

What was your specific profile or project topic during the internship?

My project topic is to bring down the cost of the ITC brand notebooks(would not bore you with technical details). I am sure all of you have used classmate notebooks. I am basically trying to find areas of cost cutting by understanding the full manufacturing process and identifying areas of potential cost saving. From paper to final distribution of notebooks, I have to cost-map all intermediate processes.

How would you describe your overall experience as an intern?

It has been very challenging but rewarding at the same time. The work hours are hectic but you truly get satisfaction doing your work as you are actually trying to implement solutions that can save a company crores of rupees. You do have your rage quit moments but that is when your peers become important. You get to travel a lot as well do different places and stay in nice hotels paid for by the company :p.

Could you provide insights into the organizational culture of the company/university and what your peers were like?

ITC as a company does not have a proper corporate culture. However, the people at ITC are super friendly and help you a lot at various stages of your internship. A lot of ITC interns do not have any co-interns(the factory interns). If you are lucky like me(head-office intern) then you will have great co-interns!

Were there any networking opportunities or professional connections that you established during the internship?

Yes, since I talk a lot to different vendors regarding new machines / technology we can apply to our manufacturing process, I have made a lot of professional connections not only in India but in companies headquartered at Italy, Germany and China also. You also get to interact with a lot of renowned manufacturers which is an experience in itself.