About me
Hello, I am Tanirika Roy, a fourth-year student in the Chemical Engineering Department. I am a foodie and a music lover. Travelling is my second nature. Being a Punekar, I relish my midday naps. [ChE Labs *evil grin*] I like Chemical Engineering, but not enough to pursue proper core jobs requiring me to design reactors. FMCG was a viable option as a future career path because it had a good variety in their profiles – industrial research, supply chain management, product development, among others. I also aspire to pursue higher studies after my B. Tech, so the real dilemma was Research Internship vs. Corporate Internship.
Internship Preparation and Interviews
The summer before my third year, I was thoroughly engrossed in my internship at Firmenich, a Swiss Perfumery, to the extent that I overlooked the need to prepare for the upcoming internship season, or rather, I was oblivious to it. After immense procrastination, I submitted my resume and didn’t attend a single presentation by any of the companies. Suddenly, the environment on campus was beginning to change, and all everyone could talk about was who got shortlisted where. I then panic-signed the consult IAFs and the ones for ITC, PnG and HUL’s research profile. With the prospect of waiting a few more months to apply for research internships seeming burdensome, I made peace with sticking to a corporate internship this summer. Although I was shortlisted for Bain & Co., I felt that consulting was not my cup of tea, so I didn’t prepare for the interview. Among the three FMCG companies, my preferred order was ITC, followed by HUL and P&G.
P&G conducted an aptitude test encompassing logic, memory, mathematics, and comprehension-based questions, which I didn’t qualify for. HUL had the initial round of recorded interviews where a question was displayed on the screen, and the camera turned on for one to two minutes, during which we had to provide our answers. Based on this, they shortlisted four of us for further interviews. ITC conducted a Group Discussion round, dividing us into groups of approximately ten and assigning a topic to discuss. This round took place online, and based on the discussions, they shortlisted 18 candidates for interviews.
HUL had a single round of interviews in which they asked logical questions related to my resume, such as inquiring about my previous internship, course projects, and extracurricular activities. For instance, I was questioned about conserving angular momentum in Bharatanatyam, given my mention of having received seven years of training in the art form on my resume.
ITC conducted two rounds of interviews. The first round primarily revolved around my resume but delved into more technical aspects. They were interested in knowing about my projects and the role I played in them. The second round was conducted by senior management and HR, focusing on my intention to join ITC, my motivation, and further questions on my resume. Eventually, I secured an internship at ITC.
KITES Internship Programme
The ITC KITES internship selects around 45-50 students from top IITs and a few NITs as KITES Technical Summer Interns. They have chosen 4 students from IIT Bombay in the past two years. This year, there were 2 students from Chemical Engineering and 2 from Mechanical Engineering. The program assigns projects based on your resume, depending on project availability. As an intern, your role involves analysing problem areas, proposing solutions, and implementing them.
I was assigned to Aashirvaad Salt, located in Gandhidham, Gujarat (not Gandhinagar). The project brief was provided approximately 10 days before the internship started, and we had to contact our buddy and manager. I was initially dissatisfied with the project brief as it involved a lot of cost analysis, an area I struggled with. Nevertheless, I went to Bangalore on the day of the induction.
The induction took place over 1.5 days at ITC Windsor, followed by interns being assigned to their respective divisions. Around 40% of interns, including myself, were placed in the Foods Division. The rest were distributed among paperboards and packaging, tobacco, personal care, etc. After division-specific orientations, we interacted with our project guides. I stayed in a hotel within 10 km of the factory, with a daily cab service provided for daily commute. My work involved identifying chemical issues in the salt, proposing solutions, cost analysis of specific areas and optimising the salt distribution supply chain.
The team prioritised my learning for the first two weeks before I started proposing solutions and conducting trials. ITC invests significantly in research, allowing me to conduct self-designed experiments, which was an enriching experience. A mid-review was conducted one month into the project, and we were invited to Bangalore for a weekend of performances and networking. The second month was spent closing all the loops and creating the final presentation. ITC emphasised the importance of the final presentation for securing a PPO (Pre-Placement Offer) and frequently reminded us about it. The final presentation involved two rounds, one with the division head and another with senior management for qualifying candidates.
Roadblocks
Working six days a week was very tiring, and the evenings often became monotonous with no co-interns at my location. I also had a hard time adjusting to the city, the lack of amenities, no public transport and food issues. It was a stark difference when compared to Mumbai. I was also one of the only women in the factory so casual sexist remarks and gender biassed statements often irked me and I had to learn to be thick skinned.
One month into my internship, Gujarat was struck by Cyclone Biparjoy followed by a flood, resulting in massive disruption, including a five-day power outage in the city. Fortunately, my hotel had a generator, which sustained us for some time. The cyclone caused significant challenges to my project due to salt loss, but the team was empathetic towards the situation. When selecting my preferences, I considered working in a factory setting at least once as an essential aspect of my Chemical Engineering degree. I can confidently say I fulfilled that goal at least. I learned to appreciate the effort behind everyday products we often take for granted. I enjoyed the corporate shenanigans, learned to overcome loneliness, and interacted with a diverse range of people. I acquired skills in disaster management and forged lifelong friendships.
Final Gyaan
Preparing for FMCG interviews primarily involves thorough knowledge of the content in your resume. Separate preparation is minimal. With confidence, you can excel in these interviews. If you don’t mind adventure and want to experience living in a remote location, perhaps even alone, ITC is an excellent choice. Rest assured, your accommodation and travel will be taken care of, and you may have the opportunity to visit different ITC factories for learning and tests. However, the work pressure might get to you so beware. Sometimes, seeing others enjoy fancy Friday nights at clubs might make you feel a bit dejected, but hey, you can always do that once you’re back in Mumbai. When I look back, I think I had an experience of a lifetime.
Wish you all the very best for your internship season!
