The Perspective

August 2013 Volume 3. Edition 2 The Perspective

Summer Sojourns

2013 1 The Perspective of IMT-Ghaziabad

Chief Editor Lakshmi Narasimhan

Editorial Team Ankit Sharma Dharma Teja Surabhi Sushnato Dutta Design Team Design Team Write to us at : [email protected] Dharma Teja Ankit Sharma 4 Director’s Address 5 Dean’s Message 7 9 Editorial - Internship Rule Book 6 Chairperson’s Message Lakshmi Rohit Desikan Narasimhan

10 11 12 13 O & M JWT Goldman Sachs JPMC Rahul Jha Ayush Tibrewal Naveli Jain Divya Chawla

14 15 16 17 Mahindra Titan ITC Dabur Shalabh Jain Siddhant Lakshmi Kishore Aakanksha 2 18 19 20 21 TEKRO Perfetti Van Melle TATA Motors RBI Sudipto Banerjee Gaurav Sharma Aastha Malhotra Sourav

22 23 24 25 Deloitte AZUL Naukri.com Cinepolis Saurabh Garg Divij Sonak Vincy Philip Raunak Narang

26 27 28 29 eClerx Services Dr. Reddy’s KPMG Marico Dhairya Parekh Karthik K Swati Hasija Toshaali Ghosh

30 31 32 34 Times OOH Genpact SandWedges Corporate Akshay Deshpande Soumik Das Team Vishit Ventures Chuckles 3 Director’s Address

congratulate the Batch of 2014 for leaving their mark in the organizations they interned with. Summer internships are of immense importance for budding managers as they not only offer practical Ibusiness insights but also prepare the students for the challenging times ahead. They also provide us with ample opportunities to estab- lish symbiotic associations with the corporate and increasing LSIP offers have played a crucial role in this direction.

As the Class of 2015 gears up for the summer placements week, I ad- vise them to put in their best efforts and make outstanding contribu- tion as interns. I highly commend this initiative from Team CCMRC for encapsulating the summer Internship experiences. This edition of The Perspective will not just help you make informed headways but will also give you insights into the kind of assignments that you all will be entrusted with. I recommend you all to work hard so that you can outperform & out- shine.

With all my good wishes,

Dr. Bibek Banerjee

4 Dean’s Message

s much as I try not to be carried away by the magnitude of effort each and every one of us puts in our summer internship, I am drawn deeper into it. So deep is the immersion that I invariably Aend up remembering my own days as a Summer Intern at Widia India. As an IIMB student, I had learnt to believe that we were amongst the best. But a brush with reality and I realized that every place in corporate world is earned, not inherited. Business to Business marketing, contrary to the belief of many (as even I came to realize first hand), threw up its fair share of surprises. On the road for six weeks in remote areas of Assam, Siliguri and Kerala with a mission to validate the client’s list of potential customers, I quietly learnt to expect the unexpected.

The entire process gave me a valuable insight into sales planning and more importantly into the whole cutting tools industry. In the end, I painstakingly prepared the final report and tried to assimilate my entire classroom and practical learning in to it. The report was well appreciated in the company and ranks highly in my list of career achievements even to this day. I entered as a rookie (I was a fresher) and came out as an industry-ready professional, thanks to the internship. As I cherish my moments of hard work, I am glad to see many such moments being created during IMT-Ghaziabad’s SIP. Also amongst us are students seeking excellence through long term projects (LSIPs). The long and the short of the whole exercise is the story that emerges during this period of time. Truly a marvelous story to begin with, I hope that all our students will convert it into a success story of their own.

Dr. Rajendra Nargundkar Senior Dean- Academics

5 Chairperson’s Message I see and I forget. I hear and I remember. I do and I understand.

hese lines spoken by the Chinese philosopher Confucius nearly 2 millennia ago apply to every MBA graduate. For, there are no right or wrong solutions in the business world and only by getting one’s Thands dirty can a student begin to appreciate the complexities involved in the smallest aspects of the decision making process. The summer internship is the period in which aspiring managers, whose heads have been filled with textbook knowledge for a year, undergo their baptism by fire.

Summer internships serve multiple purposes. Students with little or no work experience get their first taste of the corporate world. For those with experience, it is more about selective unlearning and relearning. They need to sift through their experiences and based on the needs of the organization they are interning with, customize and implement past learning or unlearn and gain fresh perspectives.

Summer internships also act as a vital conduit between the academia and corporate worlds. The students, and thus the institute, as a whole, have a better understanding on the ground realities of today’s rapidly evolving business world. Organizations, in their part, use this as an opportunity to pick the brains of these aspiring managers to get fresh viewpoints and infuse new ideas and thoughts into the existing system. This symbiotic relationship transcends the internship duration as the corporate and institute seek to forge lasting relationships.

This special edition of The Perspective aims to adequately address the multitude of queries that cross students’ minds concerning summer internships. An eclectic compilation of internship experiences from the PGDM batch of 2014 across various sectors, profiles and specializations, this edition is sure to carry something of interest to every student facing the prospect of the Summer Internship selection process, this September.

I wish the batch of 2015 all the best in targeting their dream companies and profiles.

Dr. Lubna Nafees 6 Chairperson, CCMRC Editor’s Perspective

his special edition of The Perspective comes at a very crucial junc- ture in the lives of every MBA graduate. It is the beginning of the season of summer placements, a time that is both dreaded and Tlooked forward to. For the summer internship is a leap of faith that is used to venture into the realms unknown and develop and build career consciousness. Summer internships play a significant role in shaping the perceptions about the industry by providing hands on experience. This is particularly true in the case of freshers who have negligible or no prior work experience as well as experienced people who are looking towards a shift in their careers by moving to a different industry/sector.

Being an opportunity that adds tremendous value, summer internships should be pursued with the focus solely being on learning as much as you can. The amount of knowledge that you gain, the insights and perspectives that you get firsthand on various managerial aspects is unmatched by any amount of bookish learning. Thus stipend and location should not serve as blinkers. Adding icing to the cake is the prospect of doing the internship with a recognized brand/organization. The added advantage that these organizations provide is that they have a strong system in place exclusively for internships, thus enabling you to get more out of your learning which also happens in a very systematic manner.

Summer Sojourns 2013 is a collection of internship experiences picked from the batch of 2014, across various sectors and profiles. The issue com- mences with valuable inputs shared by our Director, Dr Bibek Banerjee, the Senior Dean, Dr Nargundkar and Chairperson of CCMRC, Dr Lubna Nafees.

I hope that this edition adds to your knowledge base and helps you form a basic notion on what to expect out of an internship. I now pass on the baton to those authors who have taken precious time off their schedules to share their experiences. My thanks go to these authors and my wishes to you, the juniors for the impending selection process. All the best!

Lakshmi Narasimhan S. Chief Editor 7 They too Interned!!!

Steve Jobs got his first gig at age 12, after calling Hewlett-Packard President Bill Hewlett

17-year-old Bill Gates spent a summer as a congressional page in the U.S. House of Representatives

Xerox CEO Ursula Burns started out as an intern -- years later she became the first black woman to head a Fortune 500 company

Andrea Jung, the CEO of Avon Products, landed a coveted summer internship at Bloomingdale’s

Steven Spielberg started his career in the movie industry as an unpaid, full-time intern at Universal Studios

8 The Internship – A Rohith 12DCP-095 Basic Rulebook

“Mr. XYZ, I’m pleased to inform you that you have been selected as an intern at ABC Corporation, starting April next year.”

hese magic words that every student yearns to hear at the end of his or her internship interview has a decidedly invigorating effect– a sense of accomplishment and success flows through our veins, our heads seem a little bigger than usual, and we finally begin to understand what it feels like to be labeled T‘responsible’. For a few fleeting moments of heady dizziness, nothing seems impossible and the world seems to be at your feet once we have ‘cracked the code’.

Sorry to burst your bubble, but let’s put things in perspective – all you did until this point was to get noticed. Now, you may consider that to be an accomplishment in itself given you’re up against a batch of 600 other people, but it still doesn’t change one important fact – this is just the start, and your work is only about to begin.

Unfortunately, this seems to be lost on most management interns – having won the battle (a.k.a. internship), they lose sight of the bigger challenge: winning the war (a.k.a final placement).

Here’s a set of do’s and don’ts that you, as an intern, need to keep your eye on while on the job:

• DO: Always keep an eye out for yourself. The internship is the closest thing you’ll come to an actual job, before you plunge headlong into a career. The workplace environment, the office conversations, the people you work for, they’re all around you. And they’re all trying to figure you out, to one-up your next move, to take you down. I’m being cynical, but with good reason – it is what it is. • DON’T: Indians are so notorious for being late that it’s now the stereotype – do not let that bug affect you too. It may sound like a trivial detail, being punctual and getting to office on time, but it matters. You know what they say about first impressions? Never has a truer word been said. • DO: Talk. Now that you’ve made your way in, it’s time to make some noise. Start speaking out in meetings; venture your opinion to colleagues, sound ideas off your boss. You may come across as being pushy and over- ly inquisitive but hey, at least they’re talking about you, right? • DON’T: Do not, under any circumstance, indulge in office politics. You’re going to be there for a maximum 8 weeks - behave like it. Cozying up to your boss is the surest way to get yourself fired. • DO: Be honest. If you have a problem doing what you’ve been asked to do, or need help doing it, ask for it. ‘Jugaad’ may work in preparing a classroom presentation at the last minute in school but do you really want to be doing that at work too?

9 Rahul Jha Ogilvy & Mather 12DM-109

Roaming around in the malls of tabloid and one was finalized which went for summer internship Chennai, recording video responses of course can’t be disclosed yet! in one of the most creative ad of the Greenply ad of Arjun Ram- agencies of India, Ogilvy&Ma- pal was another great experience. I made some great friends at work Ither. Not being able to be placed We clubbed together several ads and the typical day at work was during the summer placement in a single video and tried to find filled with exciting work, along with week, I was a bit sceptical about my out those ads that stood out in the some operational work like getting summer internship prospects, but minds of an average mall going print ads/flyers/mailers verified by as Steve Jobs said, it is only when consumer. different stakeholders. All in all, you look backwards that you start I had a great summer internship connecting the dots. Not being Majority of my work was confined experience and I am grateful to placed in the summer internship to the tabloid industry as one of IMT Ghaziabad for giving me this was the best thing that happened to the biggest Indian newspapers was opportunity. me! Although getting used to the planning to launch a tabloid in instant transition from -12 degrees the near future and as an intern it C in Berlin during exchange to +40 was a great opportunity to compile C in Chennai took some time! the best practices of international tabloid standards and the reading I got many opportunities to work habits of people in transit. In fact, on several projects at O&M. The at one point, I got so obsessed with flexibility of the scope of work can reading habits that I involuntarily be gauged from the fact that I actu- took out my Smartphone every ally got to be a part of their photo time I saw someone reading a shootings for pitching a portfolio to newspaper while travelling. All the a prospective real estate client. interns were also given a chance to come up with a name for this new

10 Ayush Tibrewal J.Walter Thompson 12DCP-025

icture a suave man in his with the advertising honchos and of all, getting a chance to be a part twenties with long hair and a meeting the National Creative Di- of the crew of a TV commercial Bob Marley or a Pink Flyod rectors of various agencies in itself shoot while eating your lunch in PT-shirt. If I now ask you, what his could give you a chill down your those Agency Vanity Vans you see profession is, I can most certainly spine. Prasoon Joshi. Tista Sen. on Television. assume, you would think that he is Piyush Pandey. Bobby Pawar. Yes, I an Advertising Man. I guess that’s had a chance to meet them all. Yes, it is a glamorous and beautiful what I would have said had I been experience but what is more im- asked the same question before I I believe my Eight Week stint at portant is the immense learning joined one among the world’s most JWT was outstanding, not just that comes along. The young pop- reputed Advertising agencies, J. because I got to visit Consumer ulation in an Advertising Agency is Walter Thompson (JWT). Immersion Programs, Focus Group a true, breathing example of work- Interviews, Recording Studios, ing hard and partying harder. You always associate this cool, Film Editing Houses, Voice Over trendy and a chilled out image with and Animation studios and other an advertising agency, and most such fancy places but also because certainly its one of the most amaz- there was a lot of learning that ing experiences to be working at came with it. Imagine studying Peninsula Business Park, JWT In- about focused group discussions dia headquartered in Lower Parel, to get live and actual consumer Mumbai. insights in a book and actually conducting it. I had this opportunity to intern with the Client Servicing De- Also, what was wonderful at JWT partment that managed two most were various opportunities as important accounts, Hindustan diverse as conducting a Vox Po- Unilever Limited (Sunsilk, Rin, puli for a new business acquisition Brylcreem and Lux) and Shaadi. pitch, getting voice overs recorded com. The exhilaration of sitting in a studio and the most amazing

“Prasoon Joshi. Tista Sen. Piyush Pandey. Bobby Pawar. Yes, I had a chance to meet them all.”

11 Naveli Jain Goldman Sachs 12FN-078

hen the finance profes- I will emphasize on one thing – it’s sors refer to Investment a tough job. The final internship 4. Participate in corporate events Banks and Goldman project gave a flavour of the in- and activities, no matter how WSachs in specific giving you goose tensity at a real client side deal pressed you are on time. Remem- bumps or when the Vice President environment with a coveted panel ber, no-one likes one dimensional and Associate of Goldman Sachs of VP’s /Associates/Analysts. With people. give your reference in a seminar on questions popping up left, right campus, you definitely know you and centre, the experience gained 5. Finally and most importantly, have achieved something notewor- from the completion of a project enjoy the eight weeks and focus thy! which was way above the compe- more on learning. tency level of an intern and one As to how it all began, one fine eve- that has never been done before, Your internship should bring a ning before the placement week, gave immense satisfaction and a difference in your life. Grab it with there was a sign-up opened for GS confidence in my ability to deliver a month of hard work. And then and before thinking twice; I went value to the firm. as said in GS: Work hard and party for it, ignorant of further details. harder! All the Best! I qualified round after round and I will advice aspiring interns to started gaining confidence. It didn’t 1. Spend quality time building quite sink it then, but the most resumes. Consult teachers/men- difficult part came soon enough: tors/professionals to get your point a long wait of around 20 days to across. Remember that a CV is know the results! your first face! Also, an interview can always be driven around it. The eight weeks of internship gave a good flavour of life and glamour 2. Please be confident and don’t at Investment Banking! It started get carried away with all the small with an intense week-long training talk and discussions outside the on M&A, accounting for invest- panel room. ments, financial statements analysis and many other necessary skills 3. Interact with a lot of people on of the industry. The simplest and the floor and other fellow interns. arguably the most used was the art Learn from them and build a good of working swiftly with Microsoft professional relationship. Excel without a mouse!

To quote my feelings in the subse- quent weeks - A first hand insight “Your internship should bring into the impact of your live project on stock price movement and a difference to your lives” fluctuations in the financial market provides an adrenalin rush, a wow and a sense of inclusion! 12 Divya Chawla JP Morgan Chase 12IT-007

schedule on the second day itself The last few days of the intern- n internship is often like and the first task was to do an ship were somewhat hectic as I the trailer of the full length objective setting with my manager. rushed through the submission movie that you are going It was heartening to see that he of my project. But eventually it all Ato experience later on in life. If you took time out to guide me through worked out as I gave my final pre- like the trailer, chances are you will the different phases of the proj- sentation. This internship was an also enjoy the movie. Having com- ect. He explained the benefits of enriching experience for me both pleted my summer internship at JP working in a team and networking mentally and psychologically. I Morgan, I can easily say it was one pretty early on. I learned the traits would like to thank IMT-G for this of the most enjoyable experiences I of being a leader from shadowing opportunity. had during the summer period. my manager at work. He was truly inspirational in every sense of the Coming from a technical back- word. Upon completion of the ground, the operations profile project, I had sessions with him, was somewhat alien to me. After a which helped me understand my couple of anxious moments during strengths and weaknesses. This the initial rounds, all eyes were on feedback was very important for the final interview the next day. To me as it helped me understand the my surprise it went quite smoothly areas where I needed improve- and I was amongst the lucky ones ment. to get placed on day zero. The recruitment process of JPMC was We did case studies in groups that quite unique in its own way. It was made us realize the value of net- the first of many things that I liked working. Each member was placed about the company. I was placed at in groups such that we interacted the Malad office in Mumbai. Hav- with people from different offices, ing never visited Mumbai before, with distinct shift timings. This I had high expectations (thanks to was very helpful as it gave a peek my friends) and I was not disap- into a scenario from a global work- pointed. place. The whole program was very well structured and implemented very smoothly. From intellectually For an MBA student, one of the challenging projects to interactions many things that are of critical with top management officials, we value is the internship where- learned something on every step of in you gain relevant experience, the way. knowledge and skills in a specific industry. I got to experience just that. The expectations from “CDP interns” were high, as it is a well known program in the company. I started pretty early as I got the

13 Shalabh Jain, Mahindra &Mahindra Ltd. 12DCP-106

’ve always possessed a pas- is different from the one which not only an addition to my knowl- sion for working in the au- is traditionally followed in the edge about the Indian automobile tomobile sector and a desire automobile industry. The nature of industry, but also with a greater Ito contribute towards spreading the work and the working envi- sense of confidence in my ability awareness about non-polluting ronment helped me in achieving to contribute in a professional vehicle technologies and hence a certain degree of independence environment. help in its greater adoption by too. As an Intern, I worked pri- the consumers. With the fossil marily on formulating a promo- fuel reserves depleting at an ever tion strategy for Mahindra REVA’s increasing pace, electric vehicle recently launched electric car, the technology is the future of the e2o, which would help in making automobile industry. My intern- people look beyond the high price ship at Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. of electric cars (due to expensive provided me with the right kind of battery technology) and make tools, environment and a learn- them look into the long-term fuel ing experience which helped me cost saving and environmental gather comprehensive knowledge benefits. With the completion of about the electric vehicle industry tasks at each stage, my industry in India and the world. I worked mentors encouraged me to ask closely with the corporate sales questions, get my doubts clarified team at the area office in Mumbai and valued my individual opinion. to develop an understanding of At the conclusion of my internship the corporate sales process at the I was given the opportunity to automotive division of Mahindra. present my work to my colleagues/ It also helped me enhance my mentors and to offer recommen- knowledge about how an elec- dations for improvements in cur- tric vehicle should be promoted rent promotional activities. This among its potential buyers and unique experience allowed me to how this promotional technique return from my internship with

14 Siddhant Kejriwal TITAN 12DCP-109

What kind of project are you looking for?” was the first question thrown at me while “I was sitting on the other side of the table. “Umm anything that has something to do with marketing”, was my reluctant reply only to observe that my “to-be” boss had is where you have to start from. have gathered while working with a sly smile as if saying “whatever any organization. be your answer, you are going to Go to ground, see what customer do what I tell you to for the next 9 is buying, how much is he will- As the course of events unfolded, weeks!”. And thus began my sum- ing to pay for it and how do you getting to know what employees mer internship journey at Titan sell your product”, were the only feel about your company and the Industries Ltd. words of Mr Koshy Cherian, art of “luring” the customer into Regional Business Manager, Titan buying “stuff they would have To the bewilderment of all my Industries Ltd who also happened certainly rejected had they been contacts on “whatsapp”, I was to be my project guide for the 9 left alone” was one of the very online at 7.30 in the morning the weeks of my summer internship interesting takeaways from my next day only to receive messag- project. summers. es like “are you ill ?”, to which I would have a single reply, “on my Visiting stores in all corners of the In a nutshell, “PGDM in mar- way to office”. city of Mumbai became a daily keting is what my degree will say routine with no track of Sundays at the end of 2 years in IMT and It’s astounding to see the transfor- or public holidays. Interacting experience of reality is what my mation in yourself from a “fresh- with customers, taking feedbacks instinct has to say after 9 weeks in er” to a “working man” thanks and understanding their buying Titan Industries Ltd”. to your first professional work grievances were among the most experience. Titan certainly played insightful learning’s that one could a big role in churning my attitude from that of a “laid back, easy going, chilled out boy” to a more “serious, thinking, practical and result oriented man”. My first check at reality was on day 1 when my boss asked me “What according to you is marketing?”, for which my explanations had all the fancy jargons of “Por- ter’s 5 Forces Model”, “The 4 P’s of marketing”, “The differentiation strategy” and so on, only to realize that these meant nothing in the real world. “You say you want to pursue a career in marketing, sales 15 Lakshmi Kishore ITC Limited 12DCP-058

My induction began with reading he moment was finally up on various aspects of the com- here. The moment I had pany, understanding the distribu- dreaded and anticipated tion side of all of ITC’s businesses Tfor so long. It was finally 10 am and tagging along with the Area on 2nd April and I entered the Executives to distribution centers formidable (at least it looked and retail outlets to get a firsthand formidable to me) looking gates experience. I thoroughly enjoyed to ITC Infotech Park. The place this part as I got an overview of was enormous and milling around the working of the division and with people. It took me about 10 felt settled in. minutes to find my way to the office of the Trade Marketing and My project was related to the Per- Distribution vertical and at long sonal Care Business and I couldn’t last I was at the reception waiting have asked for anything better. The to be called in to meet the HR project involved a lot of travelling manager. and field visits, which I initially resented because of the scorching As a fresher I had never had a summer heat but soon started to chance to formally interact with enjoy. My mentor was extremely any corporate, and to begin with cooperative and patient with all an FMCG giant like ITC Limited my fumbling and I learnt so much just made me dizzy at the thought. from him, even beyond the scope I was petrified, with knees shak- of my project. ing and throat dry when I entered the cabin for my first formal All in all the 8 weeks at ITC flew interaction with the HR manager. by with delicious lunches at the Contrary to my apprehension, colossal food court, new friends the meeting went of very well and from across all premier B-schools I was assigned my project and and a scintillating project com- mentor. pleted successfully. I couldn’t have dreamed of a better experience. The one thing still ringing in my mind as I sat in the cubicle given to me was the manager’s words “This opportunity is not just for the company to add value to your education but for you to add value to the company”. I realized this was not going to be an easy ride and I have something to prove.

16 Aakanksha Sharma Dabur 12HR-001

th April, 2013 is a date that ses of responses of around 1500 recommendations. I suggested will stay etched in my mind people. SPSS was my Achilles’ heel implementation of Transition as the day of new beginnings and Labor laws application was Assistance Program for sales staff 8and my first tryst with corporate unknown territory too. I started transitioning into new roles which life. I entered the gates of Dabur with understanding labor laws and was lauded by my mentor. with some trepidation as to how got H.L Kumar books issued from the day will progress. What proj- the library. The sheer bulkiness of This experience provided me great ect will I be assigned? My fellow those books can put even the most learning right from understand- interns from top notch B schools dedicated people to sleep. I some- ing labor law intricacies (a must such as IIM-A, SP Jain, FMS-Del- how managed to read the relevant for every HR student), SPSS to hi looked both excited and ner- laws and prepared a compliance making effective presentations and vous. checklist draft which was appreci- working of FMCG company in ated by my guide and he extended general from seniors in Dabur as After a brief ice-breaking session the scope of my project to include well as peers from other B schools. and induction, we were assigned conducting soft audits for New U projects with expected delivera- stores. Conducting store audit was bles and mentors. I was assigned 2 an experience in itself. With first projects, one on drafting compli- project completed and good mid- ance framework for Dabur’s retail term review I concentrated on arm-New U and other on analyz- SPSS analysis .I watched tutorial ing employee satisfaction survey videos and took my mentor’s help results and providing recommen- to learn the basics. All the efforts dations for the same. My mentor paid off when I was able to apply clearly told me that proficiency in complex test like Cluster analy- SPSS is a must for survey analysis. sis and most importantly inter- We were dealing with the analy- pret the results to make relevant

17 Sudipto Banerjee IEEE 12DCP-112

remember working in an office My days now looked something had with foreign nationals work- a couple of years back. A 4 like this - First Report to NGO, ing there during our lunch breaks. x 8 cubicle, a computer on a attend community prayer, interact Topics ranged from the difference Idesk, three drawers alongside and with the NGO workers, go to each in the political system between na- a board on the wall to constantly house in the slum, understand the tions to why Indian style of eating remind me, the long list of pend- medical issues, analyze the situa- with hands is the best in the world. ing tasks. Yup, that pretty much tion, go to city hospitals and the summed up my days. So when the slum clinic, talk to slum pre-school IMT and IEEE have taken bold ini- internship process started, I had teachers … and it went on. The tiatives by providing such extraor- resigned myself for a similar expe- difference between then and now? dinary internships and my deepest rience or maybe even worse. Now felt AWESOME!! gratitude goes to them for letting God had other plans. For starters, I me be a part of it. never got to see an office. It is difficult to pinpoint why that was - Maybe it was the passion of IEEE has launched humanitarian the NGO workers in improving projects across globe and one such lives of slum dwellers or it could was launched in the largest slum of have been the simple earnestness Ahmedabad, Ramapir No Tekro. of the slum members themselves. This project was being handled When I would enter the slums, by an NGO – Manav Sadhna. My kids there would run towards me work was simple, understand and and say namaste or shake hands. evaluate the healthcare system in The geography class that I took Tekro that was being handled by for school dropouts, no teacher in the two organizations and develop the world would have seen more a model for future IT implementa- excited students. It could also have tion. been the long discussions that we

18 Gaurav Sharma Perfetti Van Melle 12DM-178

he Night of Day Zero of Summer Internship Se- We usually worked in the market lection Process: I was sure for 4-5 hours, walking anywhere Tthat I hadn’t converted any of between 3-8 kilometres. With the my calls, and was trying to sleep, harsh weather and amount of phys- when a friend called me and said, ical activity required, Glucon-D “Gaurav, I heard your name being became my best friend! announced, you have been selected I spent the last week in Kolkata, by Perfetti!” I sprang out of my bed working on my presentation. and confirmed the same. It was Overall, the internship was a great true! learning experience for me. Not only did I develop a thorough In March, the company informed understanding of the distribution me the duration of the internship networks, but I also got an oppor- (8 weeks) and place of reporting tunity to understand the practical (East Branch Office at Kolkata). aspects of the industry. In Kolkata, I met 10 other interns from IIM-C, MDI, IIM-I, NMIMS, etc. We had two days of classroom training, followed by two days of field training. On the second day, I was told that the project required me to work with Pilot Sales Repre- Hotel-Rickshaw-Train-Auto- sentatives (PSRs) in Rural Bihar. Market Visit on foot-Auto-Bus/ We were given a brief about the Train-Rickshaw-Hotel project and on the 6th day of my internship, I landed in Bihar. Next day onwards, I used to accompany a PSR in his field visit, and worked on my project. I covered 218 retail outlets in 6 cities and 19 towns/vil- lages in 6 weeks, which also included a visit to Indo-Nepal border! Normally, my day started at 8 am. Armed with a cap, sunglasses and bottled water, I used to embark for my day’s work, covering most of the modes of transport!

(Hotel-Rickshaw-Train-Au- to-Market Visit on foot-Auto-Bus/ Train-Rickshaw-Hotel) 19 Aastha Malhothra Tata Motors 12IB-001

excel sheets with all the words used for the car, about the car and even without it!!

here are times when you aimed at taking initiatives which will actually fly in life. enhanced sales for a pick-up truck But until then you must in the Commercial Vehicle divi- Tgo through flying lessons. En- sion. It laid stress on “Pre-Sales”. thralling. Thought Provoking. I decided to be clear about my Challenging. New. Internship is project deliverables and made a the very first time you fly in that list of desired objectives and excel lesson of your B – School life. sheets share-able with my guide in the first week itself, so that he My journey began on Monday is always aware of what percent- April 1, 2013 at 9.00 AM sharp at age of my promised work have I Tata Motors Ltd. Delhi Office. I completed. I made it a point that ensured I’ve read everything about I report to him once in every 8 For the next feedback, I ensured the empire before I moved in for days with some addition to my that I was the one using Punjabi. the induction. Not only was I ex- PowerPoint presentation, showing Tata Motors Ltd. Ensured that cited to meet the top management my progress and ensuring that I each project made the intern feel but also colleagues from other was on the right track. This made special. We all worked on Live colleges. The day began on a bril- my Mid Term Review a very easy projects; projects which had real liant note with the start of the new affair as it was just a week away impact on the business. The cus- financial year as Mr Cyrus Mistry from my earlier review. tomer feedback may sound like a greeted the Tata Family through minor interaction but it was what Video Conference. The induc- The areas I covered were Post Sales made the base for the Marketing tion programme followed. We Customer Feedback, Prospecting, and Dealership suggestions I made were welcomed among the top 52 Marketing Initiatives & Execution in the later run. The final presen- interns out of the 3300 applicants- and Sales Process Improvement tation went on for 90 minutes. from all over India were welcomed suggestions at the dealership. My for the internship program. IMT first post sales feedback was a Always remember, that wherever Ghaziabad was represented by 4 telephonic interview. The first step you go, with each step you take, students. is always scary. I was worried I’ll you represent your background The induction lasted two days af- have to communicate with farm and IMT Ghaziabad. Bring in ter which we were asked to depart owners and shop owners. I did not the flavor of being intellectual, to our joining locations, in my know if I would be able to interact smart, well-read, fun-loving and case Chandigarh. Each intern had with them. The phone rang and I hard working. It always pays off. I a buddy and a mentor. The report- spoke like I usually speak, fast and express heartfelt gratitude to Tata ing line and the project brief were excited (laughing now!!), tweaked Motors Ltd. for the experience of a pre-allotted so that each intern Punjabi, made up accent. While lifetime. I left with a lot more than would be well read and informed the person at other end spoke of I had started with. about the project. My project was significant jargons, I sprawled the 20 Sourav Bhattacharya Reserve Bank of India 12FN-134

the project was to create a rating index to rate all the scheduled commercial banks in India based on their asset management and asset quality. RBI’s perspective regarding asset was not only the trademark definition but a more holistic perspective which also included considering asset as a value creator. Taking this into account the index had to be prepared such that it not only helped RBI to rate and evaluate the performance of the banks, but also assisted the banks in developing their own uring the end of De- very intense lasting for about an asset management strategies. As cember last year, at that hour. As already advised in the far as the organizational culture magical time around online posts, questions were based is concerned, RBI has its own DChristmas, a letter from Reserve on fields of interest and again distinct culture where the pace of Bank of India (RBI) confirmed my Macroeconomics. Though this was work may not be as fast paced as selection for the interview round the norm for all applicants, ques- an IT office, but the employees are to be held at their Kanpur office. tions were also asked from other very friendly and always ready to first year subjects like Statistics, help you in any way they can. I The next few days had to be LEB, etc. even got the opportunity to make utilized properly as the field was friends with the other interns highly competitive. They had After completing the fun-filled from various colleges. already recorded my fields of return journey from Kanpur interest. After going through posts was over, it was time to wait for The learning process at RBI was on the internet regarding previous the results of the interview to steep with impetus given to in- RBI internship interviews, it was be declared. At last the wait was terpreting numbers in a variety evident that reinforcements were over with and my RBI internship of circumstances and for variety needed in my fields of interest viz. was confirmed with Lucknow of stakeholders. Each decision or Asset Management, Financial Re- being my location. The eventful recommendation had to be fine porting & Accounting and Equity days post the selection passed on. tuned taking macroeconomic fac- Research. Also, considering RBI At last, Term-IV was over and tors into consideration. I also got being the central bank, Macro- the joining date came by. With an opportunity toattend two video economics was one subject one a feeling akin to the fear of the conferences with the deputy gov- should be master of. unknown, I stepped into the RBI, ernors of RBI. These sessions were Lucknow office for my intern- really important in understanding On the eve of the interview the ship. As my first preference was the monetary policy and its im- shortlisted students started their Asset Management, I was given plications on the Indian economy. journey for Kanpur. The students the topic of “Asset Management Alas, the days of my internship were gripped with fear and ner- Quality Index: A case study on the were over only to become sweet vousness. The interview itself was banks in India”. The objective of memories always to be cherished. 21 Saurabh Garg Deloitte Consulting 12FN-115

very student on the cam- joining location was Hyderabad pany and the work, so that you can pus waits for the summer which is the Indian head office for imagine yourself working for the internship week anxiously: Deloitte Consulting US India. All 4 firm after your MBA. The day we Escared for the placement, excited of us joined as Consulting Interns join a top B-school, we somehow to be in the B-school fraternity job, in ‘Technology Consulting’ divi- start imagining ourselves making confused as to which company to sion, specifically in ‘Information big strategies for an MNC, which sign up for, wishing to be placed Management’ Service Line. The might not be the case in the begin- on Day Zero or Day Minus. Well internship tenure was just 8 weeks ning for most of us. So internship that’s the same feeling I had regard- which is way too less, especially for shows you the reality and makes ing the summers. Fortunately I got finance profiles as the companies you understand as to what you can into one of the first companies that are not so eager to disclose finan- expect from your work if you join came on campus, Deloitte Consult- cial data to an intern. My profile the company. ing US India Private Limited, my basically revolved around financial dream of cracking the ‘Day Minus’ technology transformation for a So chose wisely, as to which sector company came true. Deloitte had client. I was working for a large fast you want to pursue your career in 4 grueling selection rounds. Firstly, food chain client where my team and try to focus on that. My advice based on resume 24 people were was responsible for implementing for the preparation for your sum- shortlisted. We were divided into a technology transformation of mers: read newspapers regularly, groups of 6 for a discussion on a the financial planning cycle for that is something you can’t neglect, consulting based case study. After the client where we did the client’s be aware of what’s happening the discussion each one of us was projection, forecasting of revenues around from an Indian perspective asked to present the solution on & expenses and budgeting. All this and in the world, read about the case study. It was further followed was delivered in an Enterprise Per- sector you want to be in and the top by Q&A, which was actually the formance Management tool either few companies in that sector and differentiator between you and the SAP BPC or Oracle Hyperion. last but not the least just believe in others. It was not a typical discus- yourself and you will win. All the sion to which you can propose To be specific, my role was to un- best…!!! any “global” solution and the jury derstand the current process and accepts it, we were asked in detail help the team with the financial about its implementation and im- knowledge I had. During those 8 plications. A total of 9 people pro- weeks, I helped my team under- ceeded to the Interview round. The stand the existing financial plan- interviewers asked us about our ning process the client was using. aims, experiences and why exactly Further I was also involved in a do we want to be associated with ‘Firm Initiative’ in which I worked their company. Few of us also had closely with a senior manager to answer finance related questions. coming out with a business plan Finally, the Placement committee proposing a new capability in the came out with the list; Deloitte took Deloitte organization structure. 4 students from our campus for the Moreover interactions with senior internship including myself. And management, including Direc- that’s the feeling of elation. tors & Partners, of the firm gave a different kind of exposure. I think After the first year it was time for the main objective of the internship some hands-on experience. My program is to understand the com- 22 Azul Research Advisory & Divij Sonak Support Services 12IT-006

nyone with any sort of pri- These audits were checks to verify or work-experience what- whether retail outlets were stock- soever would not find The ing the deodorants in the manner AInternship troubling. And nope, intended by the clients (packaging I’m not referring to the recently etc included). Thus, employees released Vince Vaughn – Owen had to conduct field visits to Wilson box office movie. The actu- outlets, click images and analyze al summer internship experience the images back at the main office that you go through is likely to be to determine level of adherence far less entertaining, much more to client norms. Field trips, ex- difficult to secure but generally cel-sheets and power-point pre- far more satisfying than its movie sentations made this the “typical” counterpart. internship project that one generally expects. As clichéd as it may sound, my Summer Internship at Azul was To bomb this article with another quite different and yet at the same clichéd but true statement, despite time similar to the internships the difficulties in securing and that people generally go through. internship and some rather un- This is partly due to the projects I conventional work, my internship handled over the tenure of my in- experience at Azul was an im- ternship. One was, to put it gloss- mensely satisfying affair. ily, an E-Consultancy project that required me to suggest possible improvements that could be made to the company’s website to make it more relevant and “trendy” [sic]. Flatly speaking, I was required to update and redesign the company’s website which included writing the code as well. Being a Computer Engineer, I’d say I was 3 – 4 years late for this. Never- theless, the environment at Azul and an opportunity to intern in IT itself more than made up for it. The second project was assisting in Merchandizing Audits for Spinz Deodorants.

23 Info Edge India Ltd Vincy Philip (Naukri.com) 12HR-035

nfo Edge India Ltd, popu- I chose a project in Recruitment My internship not only gave me a larly known as Naukri.com and Selection which helped me glimpse of my life as a future man- is the company I interned understand the DNA of the orga- ager, it also gave me a glimpse of with.I Info Edge is India’s premier nization. I understood the kind the life in other premier B Schools. online classifieds company in of people that Info Edge had and While interacting with my fellow Recruitment, Matrimony, Educa- was looking for. I interacted with interns, I realized the strengths tion and Real Estate. Since it was the visionaries and the leaders and limitations of our college vis- the first time that Info Edge came who had shaped the organization, à-vis the other premier B schools. to IMT for summer placements, which is now the market leader In the two months of my intern- none of the seniors could help me in the field of online classifieds in ship with Info Edge India Ltd, I draw a picture of what my intern- recruitment. I not only practically worked, I learnt, I enjoyed and I ship would be like. When I got the implemented all the HR theories made friends for life!!! offer letter stating that I would be I had learnt in class, but also had working from their headquarters the opportunity to learn further in Greater Noida (Peak summers from my mentors, colleagues and in a no-man’s land in Noida!!), I fellow interns. wasn’t too ecstatic. Never in my wildest dreams had I imagined that I would be spending one of the best summers of my life during my Internship.

Info Edge is a company that is just growing out of its ‘Start Up’ phase. With all its 2000 employees “ I worked, I learnt, I enjoyed and (except for the sales force) in one building in Noida, the company I made friends for life!!!” felt like a house to one big family. Being from H.R, I couldn’t help observing the culture of the organization. It had the perfect mix of ‘vibrancy and innovation’ associated with a start-up along with ‘loyalty and trust’ associated with a long established organization. This company believes in empowering its employees, giving them independence and the same attitude was extended towards the interns as well. We had the free- dom to choose our projects and during the course of our internship, we were treated no different from the regular employees of the organization. 24 Raunak Narang Cinepolis 12DM-117

inepolis is the 4th larg- exhibition service. The best part of Since Mexico has Spanish as its est cinema exhibition this program was when we had to official language, it was difficult, at company in the world. actually make pop-corn, hot-dogs, times, to communicate with peers, CHeadquartered in Mexico, the etc. and serve it to the customers. specifically with those who did not company has the largest market The real work started from the speak English. But each and every share in LATAM. The company 3rd day itself when I was given my one of them made an effort to has expanded its operations to project title. There were no details make me feel at home and tried to India since past few years and has given other than the title which clarify all my doubts. aggressive plans for the country. read ‘Customer Relationship Man- Since the company is in its initial agement 2.0’. But the employees To conclude, I would like to phase in India, the management of in the company made it sure I was mention that the experience I had the company thought it would be given all the information I needed during 2 months of my internship of great help to them if they could for the project. The company had was exponentially higher than that train a few young budding manag- an open door policy and directors I had during 2 years of my work ers in Mexico and hire them later of all the departments encouraged experience here in India. It was a for their Indian operations. This is people to discuss ideas and create great learning curve which I am how I got a chance to intern at the a work culture full of creativity sure is going to help me in my headquarters of the company. and enthusiasm. They followed future endeavors. ‘Work hard, party harder’ poli- When I joined Cinepolis, we had cy. The Marketing Director once a 2 day ‘Intern Orientation’ pro- invited the entire team to a bar gram. This program briefed us as it was the final match of the about the company and its vari- Mexican Football League. I was ous operations. On the 2nd day lucky enough to get an opportu- of the program we had to go to a nity to experience such a work cinema and understand each and culture which is almost impossi- every aspect about the cinema ble to experience here in India. 25 Dhairya Parekh Eclerx Services Ltd 12FN-042

After a lot of brainstorming with all the stakeholders, a robust, technically feasible and acceptable fter getting through the solution was designed for all the rigorous selection process platforms which could be easily of eClerx, I had high ex- customized for all the processes. Apectations to work on a challeng- Many platform specific best prac- ing finance project. Being from an tices were suggested by me, which IT background and specializing got implemented and rolled out. in finance, I wanted to shed my Though the work was completely IT-professional image and dive non-financial, it was more busi- into the world of finance. ness oriented, extremely challeng- Eclerx Services Limited (“eClerx”) ing and was going to impact the is a listed KPO, headquartered in businesses under SMS drastically. Mumbai, which provides middle/ All the people in the organization back office operations support to were exceptionally supportive over 30 Fortune 500 companies. It making it a great experience with has two major verticals viz Sales eClerx. and Marketing Services (SMS) and Financial Services (FS). Software Services (SS), the sole horizontal, caters to both the verticals. On the very first day I was allotted a project under SMS, which was quite surprising. I was assured that my project will be very challenging and will have an immense impact on the entire business of SMS, so as an enthusiastic intern I accepted the challenge. The project was to design a bullet proof versioning and change management structure for all the pricing intelligence and similar processes which formed a major part of SMS. I worked with 10 process managers and 16 teams to understand all the processes thoroughly. Besides this, I worked with the Technical team constantly to understand all the underlying techni- calities of the various platforms on which the processes ran. 26 Karthik K Dr. Reddy’s Labs 12DM-072

ith day time temperatures around 43 degrees C, Hyderabad Wbears a very close resemblance to Ghaziabad, highlighted by contin- the doctor to all brands but clearly and marketing teams & met me uous sweating and dehydration. expending extra effort. My task occasionally. I frequently met the Thanks to global warming, you all was to identify, which are the high company co – guide who headed can expect higher temperatures priority brands for a specialty and one marketing team and gained a next year. how can the sales teams coordi- lot from these interactions. I also nate their effort? attended a consultant – company My project was called “Co-pro- meeting, which lasted 16 hrs, 8 motion opportunity within sales The solution approach with inputs hrs a day for 2 days with adequate teams of major brands” at Dr. from the company guide and co – breaks. I attended only 14 hours, Reddy’s Labs, Ameerpet, Hyder- guide included: 2 hour of input for my project, 12 abad. The people at work, at all hours of learning. Progress mea- levels were very friendly, from 1. Identify the doctors of the spe- surements were done via consulta the security guards to the senior cialty and the current situation of tions with the company co-guide management. I had one group in- the sales effort, amount of over- daily or every two days, a 30 day teraction with senior management lapping sales effort and amount of review with the company guide and received a lot of help from the non – overlap. and the final review with the com- security guards. 31 students from 2. Identify all products from the pany management team. Despite various institutions interned here. sales teams reaching this specialty the wide spread criticism students I got to meet IMTG seniors, from in terms of market size, market reserve for academics and faculty, 2 years and 1 year ago; Fun guys, growth rate, revenues, revenue most of the stuff written in man- they were seriously helpful too! growth rate. agement books did work. 3. Identify all products which are Since different sales teams own important for a doctor of the spe- different drug brands of the com- cialty and check the sales team’s pany, it becomes difficult to focus priorities in order to satisfy this on medical specialties which re- requirement. quire drugs from different teams. 4. On identifying the gaps, check This creates two situations, firstly, and workout ways to co-promote there are some doctors of a spe- brands where the teams can better cialty who are met by some sales organize and meet the doctor’s teams and not by others, but these requirement. teams either have a different product selling priority or do not have Most of the data work required the top product. Secondly, there arithmetic on spreadsheets. The are some doctors who are met by company guide headed four sales almost all sales teams, exposing

27 Swati Hasija KPMG 12DCP- 116

t KPMG, one of the “big a constraint of eight hours a day. four” of the consulting On an average, the work demand- firms, the work environ- ed an employee to work for 10-11 Ament was pressing. As a member hours a day. The time was tracked of a team, I got a chance to in- through time sheets filled by the teract with senior executives that employees. The organization had helped me grow my professional a policy of compulsory training network and gave me an inside hours for all employees that kept look at my professional career them updated and ready to meet path. My mentor, one of the senior new challenges. KPMG focussed executives at the firm, enabled me both on growth of the individual to see the wider realm of oppor- and the firm. tunities and provided me valuable advice to help me excel in my in- As a summer associate at KPMG, ternship. The project was focussed I was sensitized to demanding on a completely new concept of situations, back-end procedures ‘Group Captive Power Projects’ as well as technical, interpersonal on which not much of secondary and motivational challenges. In information was available. It was the mid of exhausting work, coffee a challenging opportunity for me breaks and small talk with team that put my ability to strategize, members made me relax and stay innovate, manage time, lead and focussed. The team was support- network to rigorous tests. Thir- ive, that acted as a major motiva- ty percent of my internship was tion for me to work and gave me a dedicated to interaction with ex- sense of belonging to the organi- ecutives at different organizations zation. In the end I would like to such as PFC, PTC, IREDA, Green mention that as a fresher, my first Infra Ltd etc. This helped me give step in the professional world at a practical aspect to my project. KPMG can be described as ‘learn- The organization was briefly divid- ing derived’. ed into four functions namely Tax, Audit, Transactions and Advisory wherein I worked in the Corporate Finance sub-function that falls under Advisory function of the firm. Each function consisted of teams and the team size varied from function to function. The human capital mostly consisted of young professionals from all parts of the country. The organization had flexible working hour system to suit employee’s convenience with 28 Toshaali Ghosh Marico 12DM-152

hen I received the trying to ‘impress’ her with the project brief for my ‘marketing models’ that I had Summer Internship at learnt. I was surprised at her re- WMarico in the month of March, action . She smilingly said “Please my eyes drifted to the part of the do not try to force fit everything document which said “Travel to into a framework. Just provide Delhi/Bangalore/Pune/Lucknow”. me your point of view. A fresh From that moment on, I knew perspective is what we want.” That that this summer I was truly going sobered me up a little. The project to explore the incredible side of that I was working on required India. It started on a grand note me to understand and evaluate with a two day induction at The the marketing mix of their recent- Taj Landsend during which we ly launched product in the skin interacted with the MD, Mr. Har- care segment. It involved gaining ish Mariwala and the heads of the consumer insights across different different business units at Marico. user groups and geographies to This was also the first time that I understand their perception about was staying in Mumbai for longer all the aspects of the mix and than a day. These two days were provide recommendations for the The two months included many truly insightful and motivating for next year. firsts for me. I changed three all of us (thirty interns from differ- houses(which made me realise the ent B schools) as we got familiar importance of having friends in a with the culture and values of the place like Mumbai), lived off my organisation. The second day saw suitcase for a month ,travelled in us interacting with our buddies, the local train and what motivated the management trainees from me was the amount of indepen- the previous batch. The induction dence that each of us were given ended on an informal note with in terms of bringing new ideas to the HR indulging us in games and the table and executing them. This activities. We were now ready for forms an integral part of the work the toil. philosophy at Marico. There were moments of self doubt when I felt The first week went by smooth- whether I was on the right track, ly with all of us being put in the whether I was going to finish the same conference room, getting project in time. This forms an in- to meet our guides and prepare tegral part of the work philosophy a roadmap for the two months. at Marico. Now, in retrospect , I I also had my first experience of believe it was worth the effort. The covering a sales beat and under- kind of excitement of seeing your standing how things actually work work through from start to fin- at the grass root level. I remember ish and being appreciated for the the very first report that I had pre- same in the end is really satisfying. pared and mailed to my guide It was truly an experience of a 29 Akshay Deshpande Times OOH 12DM-051

run. So overall I felt privileged to This is important to formulate imes OOH, of The Times work upon a real world practical your thoughts. Nobody will help of India group, is the first problem. But the onus of thinking you doing that and its actually fun. organized player in the In- will always be upon you to decide The location is mostly Mumbai Tdian Out Of Home (OOH) Media what marketing theory you can fit or Noida though the possibility industry with a presence in all me- in and where. of Bangalore and Hyderabad is dia segments i.e. Street Furniture, always there. Best of luck!! Transit, Large Formats and Digital Screens. And, when it comes to out of home advertising in India, Times OOH is second to none. My summer internship was an awesome experience not just because the advertising field is interesting but also because of the quality of work involved. Moreover, I got to feel the media ownership of Delhi -IGI airport (where even Apple wants to display its adver- tisement), Mumbai airport, BQS and others. The project required me to develop positioning strategy for outdoor media and I had to recommend on how to maximize the revenue.

I had to travel the whole of Mum- bai and understand the media and perceptions for 20-25 days spread over two months and rest was the desk work. So basically it was a pure marketing plus strategy kind of a project. The treatment given to interns is just like any other employee, in fact even more important, as the organization is pretty much serious about these two months and they really want to implement your things. You literally have to think like top management because the problem directly impacts the business both in short run as well as the long 30 Soumik Das GENPACT 12IB-047

soaking my senses into it to realize I am glad that I got this oppor- hinking about the five the actual charm of this city. The tunity and will cherish it forever. months thus far at Gen- delicious food, the cramped streets, After all, ja hoy bhalor jonno e hoy pact, Kolkata, I can’t stop the packed buses, the noisy markets (whatever happens is always for the Tmy mind from wandering into and the soul of Kolkata (the people) good)… the thought, that this is the closest made up for my lonely life outside brush that I have had (and can ever working hours (amongst a few have probably) with the fiction- handful Kolkata interns). Over and al science of “Psychohistory” as above all, my internship brought portrayed by the legendary Isaac me a chance to interact with an Asimov’s Foundation series novels. amateur group of prolific short film My time here has been enthusiasts and my first project fully dedicated to the understand- with them will be out shortly. Hope ing of Predictive Analysis; mas- “the college junta” will like it!! tering the act of fortune-telling (in parts, not literally) of what will happen in future although with a certain probability added to it and with the only glitch being the essential need of past meaningful data. Coming from an operations background (Metallurgical Engineering) and giving priority to marketing subjects in the junior year of MBA “Analytics made me compelled me to endure quite a few sleepless nights, while working in the Credit Risk analysis domain, appreciate Asimov’s ideas” making statistical models and tech- niques, inculcating business sense in a given business framework, literally making “Eat, Sleep and Work Analytics” the norm. But the experience has been utterly fruitful opening a new perspective and a better analytical bend of mind.

Also the internship provided me with an opportunity to bond with the “City of Joy”, Kolkata, being one of the few cities in the world where both the bygone and the new coexist in perfect harmony, 31 SandWedges Team Vishit Ventures

ne of the most glamorous and sought after degrees in India is an MBA. OStudents put in endless efforts to gain admission into one of the hallowed B schools across India. For most of the students, an MBA degree is a ticket to a high paying job in the corporate world. How- ever we at Team Vishit Ventures have a different dream altogether. We believe that entrepreneurship is not just a career option, but a way of life. Sandwedges was launched after more, stretching yourself to the much planning and preparation. breaking point, to achieve what During the initial parts of the first We are now more than 3 months you want to, then come what may, year, we were unsure about how old, and the response has been you will. we were going to fulfill our dreams phenomenal. It has become a of starting a venture. But when we household name in the nearby ar- came together as a group, as Team eas of RDC. We have also started Vishit Ventures, we formed our operating in the B2B segment. own company Innoyug Enterprise We plan to expand throughout the LLP. country and make Sandwedges the biggest name in the food services We worked on different ideas, industry. We have had the golden for our business, but there was chance to learn business as it is one that stuck to our heads. The actually done in the real world. fact that, unlike a few metros, the concept of Sandwiches as a meal Sandwedges is a dream, which was not prevalent in the northern is just beginning. What have we regions of the country, led to this learnt and what can we tell you idea of opening a sandwich shop. about entrepreneurship? First, it We applied the management con- is not easy. Especially if you want cepts of market research learnt in to start from campus, it would be classrooms, and came up with the tough. The quizzes, the projects, business plan for Sandwedges. the presentations and countless Now we had a tougher challenge other responsibilities at college, of implementing that plan, be- combined with the onus of run- cause the rigorous curriculum of ning your business, will make a B school hardly left us with any life very busy. Second, the first time for anything else. But we had point doesn’t matter. If you have a to do it. vision, a goal of doing something 32 Corporate Chuckles

Before you read the comic, here are some things you should know. This comic is about advertising. So, to make sense of what follows, please understand the following terms:

Advertising agency: Company that makes ads - TV, print, radio, digital, outdoor, etc. Like Ogilvy, Lowe, JWT, Mudra, etc.

Account planner: Is the strategy guy in the agency, which is who we’ll be describing in this edition.

Account manager / client servicing: Is the guy who does the execution work or interfaces with the client on a daily basis. In many agencies, account planning and account management is done by the same person, but in many agencies, the roles are bifurcated.

Creative department: ‘Creative’ here is not an adjective. The department in an agency which actually MAKES the ads (shooting the video, writing scripts, using Photoshop, writing the exact words etc) is called the Creative department. Now, read on!

“PaGaLGuY.com is India’s biggest online network of MBA applicants and students. Visit www.pagalguy.com”

35 Get Set to show your PASSION 10 - 12 Oct, 2013