Interns of the Prime Minister Internship Scheme share their holistic development journey

ONGC Internships helping youth learn core skills, soft skills and contributing towards overall personality development: Skill Development Chief, ONGC India

As part of the fourth online ‘Candidate Open House’ hosted by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs on April 3, 2025, interns enrolled under the Prime Minister Internship Scheme shared their myriad experiences during the first few months of their ongoing internship. These Candidate Open Houses serve as a vital touchpoint for aspirants interested in the scheme, candidates navigating the registration and application process, current interns and industry.

In the previous edition of the Open House (March 27, 2024), interns from the Mahindra group shared their experiences while Mr. Don Lewis, Head of Skill Development & Education at Mahindra’s Farm Division shared his views on how an internship can provide a strong foundation for professional growth. In this Open House, Anil Bahuguna, Chief of Skill Development at ONGC India, elaborated upon how internships in ONGC are helping youth learn core skills, soft skills and contributing towards overall personality development.

Willkilinton Deori and Aditi Kashyap – both ONGC interns from Jorhat –  spoke about their internship journey so far covering multiple aspects.  For Willkilinton, the internship has already made him a more disciplined person. Since he is expected to go to his internship location daily (weekdays), Deori feels more aware about following a daily schedule and allocating adequate time to different activities. Aditi is involved in data processing in a hydrocarbon exploration project. Before this internship, she had only read about hydrocarbons in theory. Now as part of her internship, she is involved in data processing of hydrocarbons using a specialized software called ‘Geodesk’.

Jaya Aishwariya, an intern from Karaikal, Puducherry, mentioned that she commutes 30 km to her internship location. On hearing this, Anil Bahuguna, Chief of Skill Development at ONGC India readily offered to provide accommodation near the site to facilitate her internship journey. Jaya spoke candidly, both in English and Tamil, eager to continue her internship and progress in her career. 

Avi Rana, another intern from Delhi, shared that several classroom trainings were conducted on diverse topics such a human resource and finance by senior managers from ONGC. These sessions covered both technical knowledge and soft skills trainings – functions of HR, understanding and interpreting financial statements, knowledge of relevant digital tools, presentation skills and communication skills. Avi feels that she is now a more confident person because of the personality development trainings she’s been part of in her internship training. Even her ONGC supervisors agreed that the trainings have significantly helped mitigate her stage fright.

Aditya and Venkat, interns from Andhra Pradesh, said that they feel very comfortable in their internship environment to interact with their supervisors and seek help in case of difficulties. Aditya also shared that interns receive a food reimbursement of up to ₹5,000 per month. Additionally, they are provided with accommodation facilities and travel by bus, just like full-time employees.

All the interns shared experiences that symbolises the impact of the Prime Minister Internship Scheme in providing exposure to youth across India to professional environments in top companies of India for upskilling and a well-rounded professional experience.

An integral part of this scheme is the participation form top companies to contribute towards enhancing employability of Indian youth. Mr.  Anil Bahuguna, Chief of Skill Development at ONGC India provided an overview of ONGC’s operations and its active involvement in the scheme, especially focusing on additional benefits provided by the company including additional financial assistance, accidental insurance, food allowance, accommodation, personal protection equipment etc. Like ONGC, over 200 participating companies are offering additional benefits such as subsidized or free meals, travel and accommodation assistance, reimbursements, and other forms of financial support to their interns.

Mr. Bahuguna also spoke about ONGC’s efforts to ensure a holistic development experience for interns. For instance, Mr. Rajdeep Singh, former Indian hockey player and currently manager at ONGC conducts sessions with the interns to share his sporting career experiences and how they’ve shaped him as an individual.

Furthermore, Mr. Bahuguna also explained  ONGC’s intern selection process and potential pathways to full time employment in companies engaged in hydrocarbon exploration & development business. ONGC on its part  is planning to encourage its service providers  to utilise services  of suitable ONGC trained interns post their internship . For this, ONGC will soon modify contractual terms with its service providers.

MCA officials reiterated that the selection process has commenced for some of the internship opportunities and so the candidates should be alert on the portal and regularly check the status of their applications.  The application phase for Round 2 of the pilot phase of the Prime Minister Internship Scheme is currently underway and April 15, 2025, is the last date for eligible youth to apply.

For more information visit: https://pminternship.mca.gov.in/

Internship Benefits expand employability through employer-provided support and potential pathways to full-time employment for interns. The release reports that the Prime Minister Internship Scheme's Candidate Open House showcased intern experiences and employer contributions, with companies like ONGC providing training, mentoring, workplace tasks, and supplemental support-including food reimbursement, accommodation, travel assistance, insurance, and personal protective equipment-to enhance skills and employability. It further notes that employers describe selection processes and potential pathways to full-time employment, and that contractual changes with service providers are planned to encourage absorption of trained interns. Candidates are urged to monitor the portal during the ongoing application phase.