I am truly delighted to share my 2016 Summer Research Internship experience and hopefully this can inspire the future budding interns!

My management trainee internship at India’s Apex agricultural bank was under the Department of Economic Analysis and Research. I got the chance to assist on two research papers alongside in a span of six months. The first paper covered the technological and Financial Inclusion status in rural India. Since, this was a primary research, I got the opportunity to travel in villages in the state of Gujarat to take a survey of farmers on their financial inclusion level. The second paper aimed to study the nutritional production and consumption trends of India over a span of 20 years. This being a secondary research, I got the exposure to study, analyse and produce meaningful insights on huge amount of dataset. It gave me a holistic experience and insight around research work in India's apex bank.

My experience with NABARD was incredibly enriching. I got the opportunity to not only work on a full-scale research project, but the fieldwork also taught me how to interact with people in different settings. Moreover, the internship was the perfect balance of independence and support. My mentors gave me the freedom to shape my project but also helped me to take the project to the next level. I do not think I would have gotten such an incredible opportunity anywhere else.

The internship programme at NABARD was a great learning experience that I thoroughly enjoyed. I got an opportunity to polish my research skills and expand my knowledge base under the close mentoring and guidance of experts. The endearing support of the team has made the internship one of the best experiences of my life. The knowledge and skills gained here are extremely useful to those hoping to pursue a career in the field of policy.

"I really enjoyed the internship experience. I got an opportunity to conduct a study titled, 'Price Dynamics in Agriculture' which definitely developed my knowledge of the subject. Right from writing the research proposal, interacting with the stakeholders on ground, analysing the data and the final presentation, my time at NABARD was a great learning experience. It helped me develop my research, communication, analytical and writing skills. Moreover, the guidance I got from the supervisors and the time with my fellow interns was very enriching.

Overall, it was a rewarding experience and I am thankful that I had the opportunity to partake in it."

It was my dream to intern for NABARD and after getting into the organisation, I realised how great the working environment is. The best part was learning, which included conducting a whole research single-handedly. The three months experience has helped me a lot, especially getting a job in research line. Everyone in the office was so friendly and helpful throughout the internship that the work which seems so difficult initially, became easier. I feel lucky and blessed to be a part of the team.