Credits - Dhritiman Sriram, B.Tech, Mechanical Engineering 2025

Where was your third year summer internship? Domain,Company and City.

Bain and Company, Management Consulting firm. My first week of training, common across IITs, was in Bangalore, then in Gurgaon. I had to switch between Gurgaon and Noida based on the case I was on.

Can you tell us about the work you were assigned during your internship? What were your responsibilities?

It is very hard to explain what it actually was. My work involved joining a year-long case midway, where I was responsible for creating pitch decks and presenting them to a client—a B2B company dealing with international clients. The project focused on profitability and required developing an action plan, with significant client interaction. As a consultant, the work varies greatly from case to case, but it’s similar to case prep, only extended over a longer period. It’s possible that the case might end with your internship, or end mid internship, It’s completely subjective.

Describe a typical day at your internship. What tools, software or equipment you used in your work?

Every day was different, and I didn’t have a regular schedule. Three out of five days, I traveled to the client office in Noida, and on the other days, I worked at the Bain office in Gurgaon. I would catch a cab from Gurgaon to Noida, arriving by 9 AM, and we aimed to leave by 4/4:30 PM to avoid traffic. My workweeks averaged 60-65 hours. When not in Noida, I worked in Gurgaon until about 8 PM, returning by 10 PM. Occasionally, I had to work from a hotel. Fridays often featured parties or events, while weekends were spent catching up on sleep. Sometimes, my co-interns and I would go out or relax at the hotel. Before the mid-term and end-term presentations, we prepared over the weekend. Creating presentations at Bain was challenging, but the support from seniors made a huge difference. As long as you had an initial framework, supervisors were more than willing to help refine it. I couldn’t have done it alone; all the interns worked together, doing mock presentations. It was tough at first, but the guidance we received made it a great experience. During the presentations, having done the work really paid off. Seniors, who were part of the case team, used these presentations to assess our understanding, the amount of work we did, and its impact. We could also reach out to our buddies for support. In our first week, we connected with interns from IIMs to discuss presentation strategies. Consulting is often associated with Excel and PowerPoint, which is true—the importance of each depends on the task. Bain also uses a software called IRIS, a repository of past work, which is useful for finding frameworks and structures. Other tools include PPT 4.0 and the Bain toolbox for PowerPoint and Excel.

What is something you didn’t know would be a relevant skill to have but helped you in your internship, or what was a skill you were surprised to figure out you needed for your internship?

As interns, the work you do may not always add significant value, but knowing great food spots—regardless of cost btw, because ofc —around where your case team is based, and planning fun activities to keep the team engaged, turned out to be an unexpectedly crucial skill. It was very important. My case team, which fluctuated in size, had 5 members and 2 interns. In the first week, there were 7 of us, including the interns.

Tell me about your transition to the city, accommodation(PG, hostel, rented apartment, relative’s), food and transportation. Was it compensated by the company? Did they help in any way?

We didn’t have to worry about accommodation, and we were given a daily allowance for meals—₹750 for lunch, with breakfast provided at the hotel and lunch at the office. For client meetings, we received an allowance of ₹5500, which was quite generous. All cab expenses were reimbursed as well. The transition was easy, with good public transportation in Gurgaon. My experience there was great; Gurgaon is a hub for both technical and non-technical companies. We worked in DLF Cyber City, which is like the BKC of Gurgaon. Although it was extremely hot outside—48-50 degrees—the air-conditioned environment made it manageable. Safety was a concern, so we were advised to reach our accommodations before sunset.

Your personal goals and journey and how this internship shaped/affected the same.

This internship was primarily about making connections for me. Consulting serves as a great springboard for various career paths, and it helped me develop valuable soft skills like presenting, working with PowerPoint and Excel, conducting secondary research, and analyzing sectors. I also anticipated building connections with seniors at Bain, and they exceeded my expectations. Everyone was welcoming, and the culture was very supportive. Initially, I was unsure about pursuing consulting, but after this experience, I realized that I do want to pursue a management role.

How is the work culture like at the company?

The people at Bain were absolutely fabulous—you could talk to anyone. Although the work hours were long, the environment was relaxed enough that you could take breaks to play, grab coffee, or enjoy a decent 30-40 minute lunch break. The Bain intern program was very structured, with a good amount of guidance at the beginning. As you gained their trust, they granted you more autonomy over your work. I appreciated the structured approach and the discussions around the feasibility of the interns’ ideas—it made the experience really engaging.

Any memorable experience you’d like to share?

During the first week, we were invited to our manager’s house, where we ordered food and chatted about regular stuff. It really showed how comfortable and bonded the case team was beyond just work. On Friday, the entire team went to a hotel for a sufi night, where everyone was dancing and singing together. Within the case team, the hierarchy seemed to dissolve—we were comfortable with each other while still maintaining respect. 10 of us co-interns got together to watch the World Cup final, which was a fantastic experience.

Any advice for people going to work in the same company? If you could go back, is there anything you would do differently during your internship? What advice would you give to someone looking to ensure a PPO?

Here’s some general advice: Focus on doing your work very diligently. Talk to your supervisor at any point—ask for additional work and try to add value to any task they give you. Pay attention to the mistakes you make and work on not repeating them. Increase your work speed over time. Everyone has a different style of working, which you’ll understand as you go. Many people aim for a PPO, but it’s important to focus on what you like and dislike. Try to figure out the company by talking to as many people as you can. Even if you’re selectively extroverted, make an effort to go out and talk to people; it really improves your network. Avoid taking leaves and try to do as much offline work as possible. Lastly, have fun. You shouldn’t just be exhausted by the end—use the experience to gain a clear idea of what you want to do and what you don’t. Hang out with your co-interns and seniors. There’s not much I would do differently; I loved the time I spent there. Maybe I would sacrifice some sleep on the weekends to go out more.