As an MBA student at Symbiosis Institute of Business Management, Hyderabad, the Summer Internship Program is one of the most crucial stepping stones toward bridging classroom learning with corporate reality. On April 2, 2025, I began this exciting new chapter with Bharti Airtel Limited, one of India’s leading telecom giants, as an HR Intern under the AP&T circle, working closely under the mentorship of Ankita Narayan ma’am and Swagatika ma’am.
Stepping into the Corporate World
The first few days were filled with orientation sessions, understanding the organizational culture, and syncing with Airtel’s dynamic work environment. I was particularly impressed by the agility with which the teams function and the data-driven approach that fuels every decision. It was both exciting and humbling to witness how strategy meets execution at a scale as massive as Airtel’s.
My Project: Source-Mix Hiring
The core of my internship revolves around a project titled “A Detailed Study on Source-Mix Hiring at Bharti Airtel Ltd.” This project has given me the opportunity to dive deep into Airtel’s recruitment strategies, evaluate the effectiveness of various sourcing channels, and understand the cost-benefit matrix attached to each. With data access and interviews across zones, I’ve been analyzing how different hiring sources – be it internal referrals, third-party vendors, job portals, or campus hires – contribute to organizational efficiency and talent acquisition goals.
Learnings So Far
- Stakeholder Management: Interacting with zonal HR managers and other key stakeholders has sharpened my communication and coordination skills. Aligning project milestones while accommodating feedback has been a great learning curve.
- Recruitment Dynamics: I now have a much better understanding of how telecom hiring differs from other sectors. Speed, scalability, and skill fitment are three core pillars around which Airtel’s hiring decisions revolve.
- Organizational Culture: Airtel’s culture is collaborative and performance-driven. There’s a strong sense of ownership and openness that makes learning continuous and feedback transparent.
Challenges Faced
Adapting to the pace of corporate decision-making and ensuring my project stays aligned with real-time business needs has been challenging, but incredibly rewarding. Each challenge has helped me become more agile, thoughtful, and proactive in my approach.
What I Look Forward To
With a little over a month left in this internship, I’m excited to deepen my research, present actionable recommendations, and continue learning from the best minds in the telecom industry. The exposure I’ve received so far has already started shaping the kind of HR professional I aspire to become.
Final Thoughts This internship is not just about checking off a requirement for my MBA—it’s about transformation. From theory to practice, from student to contributor, every day at Bharti Airtel is helping me grow into a well-rounded HR professional.