Foreign internships new call for Hyderabad tech graduates

HYDERABAD: With competition at its peak, many students from the city are looking at internships to give a fillip to their careers. Internships abroad are particularly sought after by students who hope to gain exposure internationally which will give

them an edge over others. There are several internships to be chosen from and top among them are the AIESEC internships, Innovivi-Sky Programme and Silicon Valley Internship Programme.


AIESEC is an independent, not-for-profit organisation, run by students of 126 different countries. The main aim behind AIESEC internships is to showcase cultural differences to the youth while giving them a professional work experience. Every year, AIESEC sends and receives hundreds of international interns from Hyderabad.

Vibha Sanjay Naiknavare, who went to China last year as a part of the AIESEC programme, says, “I went on an education project to Dalian city in China which was a unique and interesting experience. I taught children who were in kindergarten at that time. Not only did the kids learn, but so did I.” Speaking about her personal growth, the 21-year-old says, “I got to travel around the city and explore their cultural and linguistic differences. At home, I’ve grown up in a protected environment, the internship gave me the chance to spread my wings and handle different situations by myself.”

While AIESEC internships have been available for a while, the more recentlylaunched Innovivi-Sky Programme has also become extremely sought after. Innovivi-Sky Programme is a collaboration between Innovivi, a social impact organisation, and University of California, Berkeley’s accelerator, Sky-Deck. Four students are offered a one-month internship at SkyDeck at a time. A total of 48 students are selected in a year. As part of their programme, the students are assigned a dedicated official mentor and can access all of SkyDeck’s events and training. The programme is unique in the sense that it is much more job-oriented and student profiles are matched with company needs to provide the right opportunity.

Heading out to SkyDeck soon is Simran Chabria who came across the internship programme in December last year. She says, “Having a dedicated mentor from Berkeley is an opportunity not many get. I hope to learn a lot during my time there.” The 23-year-old is looking to gain hands-on experience while working with start-ups in the US. She says, “the chance to pitch my own ideas is also something I look forward to.”

Speaking about the importance of internships, Sree Divya Vadlapudi, co-founder of the Innovivi Centre of Excellence, says, “In India, out of every 8 lakh students, only 3.5 lakh secure jobs. International internships offer exposure to learn about companies working outside of India and for one to accumulate knowledge about international work environments.”

The Silicon Valley Internship Programme (SVIP) gives newly-graduated techies the experience of working with firms in Silicon Valley in a one-year internship. The internship has very few openings and is extremely prestigious considering the applicant the salary paid is $75,000 for the year. The programme also allows graduates to meet prominent entrepreneurs.