About Wikasta

Founded in 2012, Wikasta Business and Technical Solutions(WBTS) is a growing company in the consulting domain. WBTS provides business solutions in the domain of Statistical Analysis, Strategic Planning, Qualitative Research and Business Planning with the help of its unique team of professionals from diverse backgrounds.
→ Continue Reading]]>

How do young startups build awesome teams? Kushagara Mittal, Founder/CEO of Wikasta Business and Technical Solutions Pvt. Ltd. talks about how their startup did that. Read on…

About Wikasta

Founded in 2012, Wikasta Business and Technical Solutions(WBTS) is a growing company in the consulting domain. WBTS provides business solutions in the domain of Statistical Analysis, Strategic Planning, Qualitative Research and Business Planning with the help of its unique team of professionals from diverse backgrounds. In a short span of time, Wikasta has created a unique position in the market having clients across the world including India, US, Europe and Middle-East.

The Challenge

Like many other start-ups, one of our major challenges was to expand and build a team, which could efficiently handle the type of projects we were dealing with.

Student Interns – the solution

Techwikasta.com, the official Tech-Magazine of WBTS, was (and to a large extent is) highly dependent on the interns. We have taken author interns for writing the articles and sometimes even editor interns to supervise author interns.  We also take Photoshop interns for making the site visually more appealing to the readers and they even help the company in its branding by making company’s covers, t-shirts etc. We have taken some Marketing interns as well, for promotion of Wikasta and Techwikasta over the internet. We are also hiring interns for Business Analysis and are giving pre-placement offer to those who do outstanding work during their internship. So, in a way, interns have been a very integral part of WBTS from its very beginning.

Why should a start-up hire interns: 

For a Start-up like WBTS, or in fact for any start-up, intern can be beneficial in almost all the domains the Start-up works in. Right from the branding of the company, SEO of the company site, writing articles for the company’s official blog to assisting in the core work of the company, interns can be really helpful. Interns can greatly increase the number of creative brains and the number of skillful hands!

There are some works which you cannot do all alone. You need more hands and heads, and students need hands on industrial experience. Internships are thus beneficial for both interns and the companies.

How Twenty19.com has helped:

When we need interns, Twenty19.com is the one stop destination for us. We need so many interns, in so many different domains. We posted around 20 internship in different domains last year. And the interns we hired were very good every time. I don’t think any other platform in India has such a large number of students, from best colleges, associated with it. I must say, experience with Twenty19.com was indeed great.

Share and Enjoy

Over the years, I have made many mistakes and a few good decisions, while recruiting people. These experiences have helped me refine my recruitment methods at Twenty19.com.

In fact, my recruitment ways are simple.

I believe, most of the work being done in the industry can be
→ Continue Reading]]>

Karthikeyan Vijayakumar, Founder and CEO of Twenty19.com, talks about recruitment and work culture at Twenty19.com. 

Share and Enjoy

Firebrand Labs is a Chennai based brand consulting firm that offers professional business communication solutions. With the only mission of ‘Helping entrepreneurs communicate with clarity’, Firebrand Labs has a wide range of clientele from Investment firms to Sports Management companies. The Firm handles multiple verticals of brand building viz. creating a corporate identity for the company, creating customized marketing & communication strategies and telling the story
→ Continue Reading]]>

About Firebrand Labs

Firebrand Labs is a Chennai based brand consulting firm that offers professional business communication solutions. With the only mission of ‘Helping entrepreneurs communicate with clarity’, Firebrand Labs has a wide range of clientele from Investment firms to Sports Management companies. The Firm handles multiple verticals of brand building viz. creating a corporate identity for the company, creating customized marketing & communication strategies and telling the story of a company’s brand through innovative mediums like internet, social media, best practices films and conventional mediums like print & TV as well.

Why we hire interns..

As a firm that sells ideas for living, fresh perspectives are very important to us. Young graduates bring freshness and a will to learn that immensely help us in our ideation process. Internships are beneficial both for the organization and the students - Any organization can definitely benefit from internships, and depending on the field they operate in, can give the right exposure to the students. Internships give a chance to engage with quality workforce at low price and it makes more sense for us to invest in them. Students come in not only with fresh ideas but with energy passion and with proper guidance, interns can deliver on projects when we don’t have bandwidth.

What interns work on at Firebrand Labs

At Firebrand labs we try to give interns the right avenues to work with. Interns work on internal projects within the company and also on real life client projects . Students get opportunities to understand the nuances of client engagements, assist partners to put together brand strategies, get hands-on knowledge on business communication & brand building and have a lot of fun in the process. We hire interns typically for:

• Visual Design work - Putting together designs for our customers – through Photoshop, corel draw etc.

• Content work – Students interested in writing – work on copy- writing, content management for client projects etc.

• Client Interaction - People friendly students are operationally involved with the client organization – handling client interactions, anchoring projects, managing client deliverables and more.

Our experience with the interns we hired

Interns at an IPL match

We hire 3-5 interns in a year and interns at Firebrand labs and have contributed significantly to a lot of internal as well as client projects. Our website was redesigned by student interns we hired. We had an enthusiastic intern working with us and after a few months we moved him into a client organization and he worked for an US based client. A student who had finished his pilot training program had some time in his hands and wanted to explore an internship with us – he joined us as an intern and has grown with the organization – we have hired him as a permanent team member at Firebrands Labs. Recently, another intern who worked with us introduced his to-be employer as our prospective client. – Thus working with interns is beneficial both ways – for us and also for the students!

Twenty19.com is unique, because of ..

Its usage – simple and neat. This works very well with us.

Twenty19.com is a great concept – Organizations should embrace the concept of internships and use of the quality of interns they get via Twenty19.com. If organizations can take the concept of internships seriously, they can benefit a lot from internships. 

Customer experience series is a space to feature our customers, their experiences with their interns and what they have in store for prospective students. If you would like your company to be featured, please get in touch with shwetha@twenty19.com.

Share and Enjoy

I have been a part of Twenty19.com since April 2011. I was searching for an internship for my MBA, and I came through Twenty19.com, I chose to intern for a social cause with “Dream A Dream”, a charitable
→ Continue Reading]]>

Gopal Chhetri – one of Twenty19.com’s oldest users talks about how Twenty19.com  helped him find the first step to the ladder of his life.

My journey with Twenty19.com

I have been a part of Twenty19.com since April 2011. I was searching for an internship for my MBA, and I came through Twenty19.com, I chose to intern for a social cause with “Dream A Dream”, a charitable trust based in Bangalore, which I found in Twenty19.com.

I joined a private company for my first job but within few months I realized it was not my cup of tea, my internship had built on me a feeling to work for a larger community, and this time I had no second thoughts when I came to learn of an opening at Dream A Dream, the same NGO where I had done my internship. Now, I work here as ‘Anchor-Communications’, and I love the work, also being a part of the cause that Dream A Dream is working for.

Twenty19.com – the impact.

Twenty19 has surely made an impact on me, as it helped me find the first step to the ladder of my life. I believe that every student should, irrespective of their major/subject, gain hands-on experience, and that is what Twenty19.com is providing them through exciting and appropriate internship opportunities.

I found my true calling, and it was possible only because I learnt and found about Dream A Dream from Twenty19.com.

Share and Enjoy

Priyadeep Sinha is recent graduate (2011 batch) at MIT, Manipal where he studied Mechanical Engineering. Having a childhood dream since the
→ Continue Reading]]> You know that you are about to meet someone incredible, when a Google search of “Priyadeep Sinha” yields 1500 search results for your reading pleasure .Here is a summary of his carbon footprint and the impact he has created so far through his startup ADD-on-GYAN Educational Services:

Priyadeep Sinha is recent graduate (2011 batch) at MIT, Manipal where he studied Mechanical Engineering. Having a childhood dream since the 8th Grade to have his own enterprise, he is now exclusively taking care of marketing and sales, product launches, legal department and media representation at ADD-on-GYAN – his start-up in the education sector. He has been a winner of over 10 technical presentation and Business-Plan Contests. He has helped and mentored many teams from Manipal University develop their business plans and win at various institutes across India. He has held leadership positions at college (President, Renewable Energy Club – Manipal) and school (House Captain) levels.   He was awarded ‘Global Achievers Award for Educational Excellence for 2012′ by Economic Development Forum, India. Recently, he was also selected as the ‘Achiever of the Year – 2011′ by ManipalBlog.com
He was the creator of Synergia – Manipal’s 1st ever Renewable Energy based Technical Fest and served as its first convener. He also has international work exposure as a Research Scholar at Strathclyde University (Glasgow, United Kingdom) in 2010. He is deeply interested in the education sector and was a selected fellow at Teach for India – 2011 which he could not undertake due to his commitments to ADD-on-GYAN.

Here are excerpts from the interview conducted by Twenty19.com

Twenty19 :What motivated you to take this initiative?

Priyadeep: I did not want to join the rat race and get a job, I wanted to do something different which was meaningful and useful, like change the inefficient education system in India. That is why I took up this initiative.

Twenty19: What roadblocks did you hit? How did you overcome them?

Priyadeep: 1) Raising money-I am grateful that my family supported me and helped me out financially in the initial stages. ADD on GYAN has been incubated at MUTBI (Manipal University Technology Business Incubator) for around 2 years and 2 months, being funded by TDB funds and MSME Grant. ). 2) Forming a team-Getting the right mix of individuals for the team was initially very difficult.

Twenty19: What is an average workday like for you?

Priyadeep: No two days are ever the same, every day is different. I work 12-15 hours a day and sleep for about 4-5hours.

Twenty19: What are the most crucial things you have done to grow your business?

Priyadeep: Building a team was the most crucial part for me. I currently have 5 members working full time and 20 interns.

 Twenty19: What’s the worst business advice you’ve ever received?

Priyadeep: Worst business idea I have ever received is “You have to lie and make things up to sell your product.” For example if a pencil costs Rs 1 to make, sell it for Rs 10. – I have never implemented this. The best adivice I have received is – Listen to your heart and have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.

Twenty19: Which inspiring personality past/present would you like to have a dinner conversation with? Why?

Priyadeep: Steve Jobs. He was my biggest inspiration. He did what he liked, lived life on his own terms. Being the richest man in the cemetery did not matter to him. Going to bed at night feeling that he had done something wonderful, that’s what mattered to him.

Twenty19:What is the importance of internships in a student’s life? Why do you think students need to do internships?

Priyadeep: Talking only about the Indian Education Scenario, there is extremely little or no correlation between what a student studies and what he/she ends up working on. In such a case, an internship is the closest a student can get in terms of understanding how does the real work environment actually work. An internship is a small duration of time when the student is given a 1st hand experience of the real world and it becomes an important stepping stone for his/her future career growth.

Twenty19:What are the internships that you have done in your past? How have these helped you?

Priyadeep: Well, I have done a couple of internships during my college life which have helped me immensely prepare myself for my work at ADD-on-GYAN. I have worked as an Intern at Electromech Material Handling Systems Ltd. where I learnt about a varied many assembly line processes and overhead crane systems made by the German manufacturer, Abus. This was in June, 2009. I did my second internship as a Visiting Research Scholar at Centre for Biophotonics, Strathclyde University in Glasgow (United Kingdom) where I was working with Lasers and testing with Lasers on live cells (I would not be able to give much details of the project as it is a major research project funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation). I did this internship back in July-August, 2010. Both these internships helped me in different ways. While the 1st internship helped me understand the whole concept of assembly line, production, operations research, etc. which were valuable to me being a mechanical engineer, the internship in Glasgow helped me grow diversely technically and culturally. I was living with people from 40 countries and I was working with a completely Scottish Team which helped me understand their work culture. Also, the kind of research being done was absolutely astonishing and I was extremely proud to be a part of the team and contribute. I have used a number of techniques, mechanisms and processes while running ADD-on-GYAN that I learnt at my internships.

Twenty19: Who are your mentors? What do you think are the most important things that you have learnt from your mentor?

Priyadeep: Well, my first mentor is Mr. Pulak Sinha (my father) who is General Manager at State Bank of India heading the Internet Banking, Mobile Banking, Debit Cards and other Payment Solutions. He has been the most influential mentor in my life for the last 20 years. He has taught me to be disciplined, dedicated to task and humility. My mother has also been a huge influence in my life and is my closest friend. I also learnt cooking and other household chores from her which are helping me in a huge way today in my life.(Laughs) Other thank my family, two other people have helped me shape up to what I am today and keep guiding and motivating me toward excellence in life and work. Mr. M Chandrasekaran who is currently the Corporate Advisor of Manipal Group, MeritTrac and U21 Global (Singapore), is a big influence in my life. He is a serial entrepreneur who has handheld ADD-on-GYAN and our entire work from the time even before we started the company. I have learnt great many virtues from him and keep learning. The other person is the liveliest and most humble CEO I have ever met, Mr. Luis Miranda who is the Former Chairman of IDFC Private Equity which he founded in 2002. I have known him for around 1.5 years now and he has literally transformed the way I work. He is an inspiration beyond measure for me and I am glad to be able to learn so much from him. I am fortunate to be in constant touch with them and the fact that they guide the entire ADD-on-GYAN Team on a regular basis.

Twenty19: What should students look for in a mentor?

Priyadeep:  Well, I believe it’s the connection that matters. You will know right from the moment you meet your prospective mentor for the first time that he/she would be a big influence in your life. If it does not click in the first go, I am doubtful that the person would ever be your mentor.

Twenty19: Many entrepreneurs complain about not succeeding in business due to lack of adequate funding, what is your take on this matter?

Priyadeep: They are not entirely wrong in complaining. It is comparatively easier starting up in the US than it is in India. In India every tiny detail is scrutinised and is very difficult to start up by yourself without help. In the US start-ups receive more help both financially and otherwise.

Twenty19: Finally, Your advice to young entrepreneurs

Priyadeep: Do what you like to do, go by your gut instinct and stop worrying about other trivial things.

Link to ADDonGYAN’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/LabGyan

You can follow Priyadeep on his twitter handle@PriyadeepSinha

Website:www.addongyan.com

Blog:priyadeepsinha.com

The Student Rockstars series features students who have taken outstanding initiatives and shown unusual accomplishments while they are still in college. Powered by Twenty19.com, this series aims to highlight their key initiatives and their influences so that the larger student community can learn and benefit from them. You can nominate a potential Student Rockstar here.

Share and Enjoy

Edex – 25th Feb, 2013

Fed up with searching for internships  based on
→ Continue Reading]]>

This is an entry for the ‘Twenty19.com Campus Ambassador Blogging marathon’. As part of this series, the Twenty19.com Campus Ambassadors write about What Twenty19.com means to them. If you find this article useful and interesting,  share it with your friends!

Divya G, Twenty19.com Campus ambassador from University College of Engineering,Osmania University talks about how everyone should DOMore ! Read on..

Fed up with searching for internships  based on your interest?

Wanna  have an  opportunity to show your capacity ?

What’s here

You will find here great internship offers based on your preferences like location  ,interested category .Don’t put extra effort for searching based on  your degree and branch. Twenty19.com has reduced your work ,It does that for you if you provide your degree and branch.Not only internships but also know about Events  ,Technical Symposium by various colleges across India ,Conferences by great scholars .

If you have spirit to compete ,make it a stage to go forward.

In this competitive world not only academics would help us to achieve our goals but also we need to browse a lot and Twenty19.comwould be one of the best resources which would help a lot and can guide your career path. Become a bookworm by finding what you need here at less cost.

In this competitive world not only academics would help us to achieve our goals but also we need to browse a lot and Twenty19.com would be one of the best resources which would help a lot and can guide your career path. Become a bookworm by finding what you need here at less cost.

Growth since 2010

·  4000 companies now use Twenty19.com for hiring interns.

·  Students from over 2000 colleges in India use Twenty19.com.

·  32000+ students have been shortlisted for internships for various internships.

·  A stipend of over 50 crores has been disbursed.

 My words

I came to know about Twenty19.com from one of my friends  .She was very enthusiastic while  explaining  resources available in the site. So I became very curious to learn about it and I googled what Twenty19.com  is about. I found very interesting and applied for brand ambassador. Later I informed many of my friends about Twenty19.com so that all the students can get the benefit of  having internships and about  recent events  like fests, workshops and technical symposium at other colleges. I am very thankful  to Twenty19.com for giving me this opportunity to share my experiences with all of you.

Thanks to Twenty19.com for making us to DO MORE….

“Take a chance  Make a change” .

Come , join Twenty19.com and live your world the way  you want!!

Campus Ambassador Blogging marathon is a series where the Twenty19.com Campus Ambassadors write about What Twenty19.com means to them. If you would like to be a Twenty19.com Campus Ambassador, fill this form.

Share and Enjoy