Summer Intern 2021: Piramal Pharma Solutions

 

Hello everyone! I am Arsh Deep, and I have just completed my 3rd year of chemical engineering. I am currently interning at Piramal Pharma Solutions (PPS). Like most of my peers from the batch of 2021, my summer internship seemed like a once-in-a-century experience. Interning amidst the pandemic and the subsequent lockdown has been a revelation in its own right. In the following paragraphs, I reflect upon my experience as an intern at Piramal Pharma Solutions.

The Selection

The company came for internships around mid-August. My DAMP mentor was an intern at Piramal the previous years, so I had some background knowledge about the selection procedure. The selection process consisted of four rounds. The first was a conventional resume screening. After 2-3 days, a list was published, and we were asked to take an online assessment test consisting of puzzles, questions on logical reasoning, etc., based on which the GD shortlist was released. The GD consisted of very unusual questions such as what would you do if you become the PM of our country etc., and we were given two minutes to speak on the topic. Based on the GD, 11 candidates were selected, and interviews were conducted. I had two rounds of interviews: a personal interview and then a technical interview. The personal interview was a typical HR interview, and the questions mainly revolved around my POR’s, interests, and hobbies. After the interview, I was informed that I will be having another interview in 15 minutes. The second interview was intense and revolved around my technical skills. Though the major part of my interview revolved around the projects and motivation, basic knowledge about core subjects will be more than sufficient for any counter questions during the interview, which will reflect in your problem-solving approach.

Kickstart to the Internship

So before the start of the internship nearly two weeks ago, the Piramal team rolled out a survey asking our superheroes and words that describe our attitude to know a bit about us. I did not know why then, but over these two months, I was totally captivated as to how they gave the personalized touch to the whole virtual internship journey. A two-day induction was held online to help understand the organization and get a clear understanding of the working environment. During the induction, we connected with leaders from different parts of the world who helped us get an insight into the values and fundamentals of the organization. One great thing about Piramal Pharma Solutions(PPS) is that they give a lot of importance to their values and “Patient eccentricity.” 

About the Project

I was allotted the Pithampur site, which offers commercial manufacturing and packaging services for oral solids. A one-day site induction was held where we were given a fair idea about the site, after which we were allotted our project and project mentors. My project was to optimize Utility cost and implement measures to reduce it by 5% from the baseline of FY-21 consumption. To my surprise, this project had both core and non-core approaches, and with due deliberation with my mentors, I decided to divide the project into two sections. The first part was to analyze data and optimize it using QC tools. For the second part, I used my core knowledge to analyze current working conditions and came up with better solutions. (Can’t disclose anything further due to NDA). 

Ending note - 

Working from home made connecting with people difficult, but my mentors and the team at Piramal left no stone unturned to connect me with the right stakeholders. One of the major highlights of the internship was the sessions we used to have weekly with Leaders from different fields of PPS. Although it is a core profile, they focussed on overall development through the Global Emerging Leader Program. The company put in all endeavors so that interns can get the best out of these uncertain times and indeed against all odds. Ping me on Facebook if you have queries.