Professional immersion experience

About the host organisation

Pave’s 10-day Professional Immersion Experience in one of the largest cities in the world and the City of Dreams, Mumbai, is designed with industry professionals to give you an in-depth insight into India’s unique and dynamic business environment and how this impacts the organisations operating in one of the fastest growing economies today.

You will be challenged through organisation led workshops and will meet a number of individuals ranging from business owners to village dwellers to give you first-hand experience of India’s economy, business, culture, political system, legal system and people.

About the internship

Why do the experience?

Your journey to success will almost certainly start with you. Can anyone ever be the finished article after school? Or after university for that matter? Anyone who’s been through it knows these milestones are just the beginning. Just as they say you only really learn to drive after you’ve passed your test, so we believe your learning only really starts after your formal learning’s finished. By doing an Experience with us, you’ll learn and experience what you can’t in the classroom or workplace in your home country. It turns out it does matter how you’re turned out and this can only be achieved through the opportunities you seek to take. By investing in your own personal and professional development in a distinct new cultural setting, you are unlocking your potential to stand out from the rest.

If you need a little push to get you started on this journey, perhaps some of these reasons will encourage you to make the leap:

• Travel abroad
• Build your CV and personal brand
• Develop cultural sensibility and exposure
• Experience on an international level
• Learn intercultural perspectives
• Create lasting memories
• Form new and long-lasting friendships
• Grow an international network
• Develop a unique narrative that demonstrates your development
• Become a globally engaged future business leader that employers are increasingly seeking

All in all, if you even have the tiniest urge to travel abroad and gain first-hand international business experience then we encourage you to sign up now. You will learn invaluable business acumen, grow into a more responsible and mature person and, undeniably, create some priceless memories. You will be challenged to develop yourself professionally as well as re-evaluate your own values and cultural norms. And when you return home, you will bring a widened perspective of the world with you to use in your personal and professional life.

About the experience

This summer explore India’s captivating culture, diverse people and dynamic business environment. Be ready to unlock your potential and re-evaluate your values and cultural norms whilst creating priceless memories. When you return home, these invaluable lessons will allow a broadened perspective of the world in your personal and professional life.

Below is an indicative schedule of the Experience:

Day 1: Arrival into India

Upon arrival, you will be greeted by the Pave team at the airport who will take you to your accommodation. You will spend the day checking-in, settling down and familiarising yourself with your surroundings. You will be provided with an Induction session on the programme overview, context and structure over the next 10 days including your welcome packs that will include city guides, maps, emergency contact numbers and induction materials. In the evening, you will be formally welcomed into India at a banquet meal, giving you your first taste of India!

Day 2: Navigating India and sightseeing

You will receive a comprehensive and interactive workshop, giving you an introduction into the history and economy of India as well as learning more about its distinct culture and how it compares to western culture. In the afternoon, you will be picked up by car and taken for a sightseeing tour lasting 4.5 hours.

Day 2: Navigating India and sightseeing

You will receive a comprehensive and interactive workshop, giving you an introduction into the history and economy of India as well as learning more about its distinct culture and how it compares to western culture. In the afternoon, you will be picked up by car and taken for a sightseeing tour lasting 4.5 hours.

Day 3: The agile nature of India’s startup ecosystem

You will visit one of India’s most dynamic co-working spaces to meet enterprising startups developing innovative ways of availing opportunities in India. Due to the complex nature of India’s market you will find out how these startups are succeeding that in turn will inspire you to develop agility and responsive strategic thinking to use in your future jobs.

Day 4: Asia’s largest slum tour and business challenge workshop

You will go on a tour of the largest slum in Asia. You will explore the slum’s varied communities and industries that have an annual turnover of approximately £450 million. Following the tour, you will undertake a business challenge that is closely related to some of the slum’s issues that you would have witnessed earlier in the day.

Day 5: Apprentice Challenge

This day will comprise of a real life Apprentice-style challenge where you will put your bargaining skills into practice and turn on your charm as you are tasked with buying a range of unique Indian products for the best price. The teams will be put to the test as you utilise your cultural awareness, teamwork and leadership skills. You will be given the rest of the day as free time to unwind explore the local area/city.

Day 6: Insight into the Indian workplace

You will spend the morning with a successful Indian business at their office to contextualise the Eastern business culture and practices. You will learn how innovative business solutions respond to challenges in India’s society and economy, discuss differences between the Eastern and Western work ethos before embarking on a real-life challenge set by the organisation that they are currently facing. You will go on a unique market tour in the evening.

Day 7: Village tour

You will go on a day trip to experience real Indian village life in two separate communities: a typical rural village and a tribal village. As you go through the village you will be informed about the beliefs, customs, superstitions, religion and challenges locals face. You will also get a sense of how the majority of Indians live by meeting the locals and visiting their homes as well as getting hands on with playing traditional games, ploughing a field, harvesting rice, making bricks or the traditional method of carrying water on their head.

Day 8: India’s law in context & religious and historical heritage

In the morning, you will gain an insight into the distinct Indian legal system through a practical and challenging case study delivered by an experienced Indian legal professional. Following your morning session, you will be exposed to India’s most prominent religions through visiting famous religious sites across the city and understanding their historical context, how they impact on day-to-day life and seamlessly co-exist.

Day 9: Purposeful business in India

In the morning, you will learn about strategic sustainability and the growing prominence of purposeful business. This will be practically contextualised in the afternoon as you meet and hear from the founder of a non-profit organisation who is responding purposefully to significant social issues in India. You will engage first-hand in their outreach activities to learn their business model and the impact it creates for the beneficiaries. To round off the day, you will have an informal networking event.

Day 10: Future of India & closing ceremony

In the morning, you will reflect on your experiences throughout the trip and learn how to effectively communicate and demonstrate the competencies you have developed to your future employers. The programme will conclude with a formal closing ceremony to celebrate your successes, memories and new friendships.

Day 11: Mum-bye!

Before checking-out and heading to Mumbai International airport, do some final souvenir shopping plus shed some emotional tears as we say farewell (for now) to each other!

What is included?

By joining us on the Professional Immersion Experience, you will receive a comprehensive package including:

The Professional Immersion Experience

Our expertly crafted Experience provides the perfect blend of business exposure and cultural insight through interactive workshops, activities and visits. Please refer to the indicative schedule for more information.

Accommodation

We put you up in clean, comfortable and safe accommodation with 24/7 security. You will live with your fellow participants split by gender so you can make new friends and interact with each other in your free time from exploring the city to dinner plans. Your accommodation is well-equipped with access to Wi-Fi, separate bathrooms and toilets, a spacious communal living room and kitchen.

Visa processing

Sit back and relax as we process your visa applications. Based on our experience, this can be a tricky and somewhat lengthy process. We gather the relevant information via a simple form, organise the paperwork and send off the application on your behalf.

Pre-departure orientation and induction

We will run an orientation session prior to departure so you are fully versed and trained on what to expect in India. Upon arrival we will give you a comprehensive induction session so you can be familiarised to your new surroundings and an overview of the next 10 days on the programme which includes your personalised welcome packs and city guides.

Airport pick-up

We will greet you with big smiles at the airport in India and will take you directly to check-in at your accommodation and settle down.

On-ground travel

We will co-ordinate and cover all on-ground commute to and from scheduled workshops, activities and events that relate to the programme.

Fully trained programme co-ordinators

With 20+ year’s experience of living and working in India, you can feel safe in the knowledge that we are duly skilled to provide you with an authentic programme experience as well as deliver at the highest levels.

24/7 safety, security and support

It is our priority to ensure you have a rewarding and safe programme in India. Programme co-ordinators are contactable 24 hours a day. In addition, your accommodation site will have staff on-site 24 hours a day for security and to provide any support required.

Cultural trips and admission tickets

We organise and cover the cost of all your exciting social and cultural trips so its hassle-free and allows you to maximise your experience of India without breaking the bank. That includes admission tickets to on-ground travel to and from your accommodation site.

How much does it cost?

The total Experience fee is £1,500 incl. VAT and is inclusive of the Experience package.

The Refer A Friend scheme means that if you sign up with a friend, you will both receive a discount worth £250 taking your total cost down to £1,250 incl. VAT.

If you receive an offer for the Experience, a £250 deposit must be paid within 5 working days to secure your place. The remaining balance of the Experience fee must be paid within 30 days of the deposit payment. We are able to accommodate a number of payment options such as, Internet banking and direct bank transfer. Contact Us at the time of payment so we can arrange for your preferred payment method (if contacting us by e-mail or form please subject ‘Programme Payment Options’).

N.B. The Experience cost excludes your flights, insurance and the visa consulate fee, which is payable to the Indian High Commission. In any event, please ensure that you have read our Terms of Business before making a payment. Any on-ground travel you do outside of the programme should be covered at your own expense.

When is it happenning?

The Professional Immersion Experience dates are as follows:

• Sunday 7th July 2019 – Wednesday 17th July 2019