Last month, while returning from Trivandrum to Changanacherry, we stopped at a restaurant in Adoor. As soon as we entered, a young lady who was the floor manager greeted us and guided us to a table. Following the usual custom, she handed us the menu. Since it was an odd time of day, we asked her for some recommendations. She suggested a few options, and we then requested some dishes that weren’t on the menu. She checked with the kitchen, and soon, the young and fresh-faced waiters served us exactly what we wanted. Curious, I inquired and confirmed that the floor manager and the wait staff were all interns from a nearby catering institute. After the meal, we were given a feedback form to fill out, which asked us to evaluate the food, ambiance, and, at the end, whether we wanted to mention any one person by name. We called the floor manager over and asked for her name, explaining that we wanted to include it in the feedback. Her response surprised us: “Please include all our names.” As a compromise, we wrote her name and added “& team.” We left the restaurant with pleasant feelings. This experience exemplified what internships can achieve: a win-win-win relationship between the educational institution, the business, and the interns.

The above incident reminded me of the internship introduced into the MBA program curriculum when St. Berchmans College was granted autonomy in 2014. For the first time, students were required to complete a two-month summer internship after their first year. 120 students, some with assistance from the Institute and others independently, embarked on their internships.

A few weeks into the internship, we were surprised by a Facebook post from one of our interns working at BigBazaar in Bangalore. He shared concerns about his internship experience, specifically the task of delivering customer orders to various flats. He dissuaded students from joining the SB College MBA program.

What stood out was the prompt response from his seniors, former students of the Institute. They reminded him that such tasks are common for beginners in their employment and that this experience was an opportunity to get a real feel for the work environment. They demanded an apology, which he eventually offered. All happened on Facebook, without the intervention of any of us from BIMS.

When he returned from his internship, he sat down with me, and it was clear that he had changed his perspective. He explained that Big Bazaar was introducing home delivery for the first time, and during this phase, even the existing staff and supervisors were involved in the process. He regretted his Facebook post and understood the value of the experience.

Narrating the above episode, brought to my mind an experience shared by Indra Nooyi, who described herself as the “first immigrant, colored woman” to become Chairman and CEO of PepsiCo, in her book My Life in Full: Work, Family, and Our Future. After graduating from IIM Calcutta, her second job was with Johnson & Johnson in 1977 as a product manager for the launch of  Stayfree feminine protection products in India. Her role involved convincing women to transition from traditional methods to using a commercial product. Research for the product involved asking dozens of women in the office and their acquaintances to use the pad and leave them in the bathroom for Nooyi to examine and suggest improvements to the production team. Since all her bosses were men, discussing the product with them was awkward. Advertising feminine personal products was taboo in India at that time, and Indira Nooyi and her team had to visit schools and colleges to explain the benefits to young women. These were challenging and uncomfortable conditions, but Indira Nooyi saw it as a mission “to make women’s lives just a little better,” promising them “a new kind of freedom, some form of liberation.”

Her commitment to the organization’s purpose, transforming it into a humanistic mission, propelled her to a highly coveted position in a revered company. She strategically redirected Pepsi’s considerable corporate spending from junk foods towards healthier alternatives.

The growing prevalence of internships, particularly with the advent of four-year degree programs in India, necessitates a recognition of their significance. Internships provide a platform for students to find purpose and meaning, transcending simple experiences. Adopting this perspective allows students to realize their full potential and pave the way for success. It is the duty of universities, colleges, educators, and students alike to maximize the benefits of this newly implemented internship scheme.