Internship Experience at Prima Innotech LLC and IIT Mandi

How It All Started

After finishing my second year, I was really excited and confident about finding a good internship. I was searching for internships that would give me exposure to good projects and provide a proper stipend as well.  I thought my previous internship experience would help, but I realized that your grades are really important if you're aiming for a research internship. While I wanted to earn more, it was really tough to find a well-paying internship in India, especially in a core field. I tried applying to all kinds of internships, both in India and in other countries. But the results weren't great.

When I started losing hope and enthusiasm, I received an internship proposal from Prima Innotech in January. The pay was good and what I expected, and the project description interested me, even though the company wasn't a standard one. The unique thing was that the internship was remote since the company was based in the US. After careful consideration on the very last date, I decided to apply. After a week, I received an email from my internship advisor stating that I had an assignment to complete. My selection for the internship depended on how well I performed on this assignment.

The assignment was about using Model Predictive Control (MPC) for path tracking, and it turned out to be more challenging than I anticipated. During this process, I had moments of low motivation because the problem statement was way out of my domain, but some events that happened in February gave me a boost. With renewed determination, I submitted the assignment and underwent a review round. This involved making a presentation based on my completed assignment. Thankfully, I did well on the review round and was selected for the internship right after my presentation. One Important note to the juniors is that if you are a bit confused about the problem statement, contact your guide on how to proceed with it. Get a clear understanding of the problem statement and then proceed further.

About the Internship

Three months later, I started my internship. I was assigned a project related to the control of autonomous electric vehicles. In this project, I worked on creating models in Simulink for steering control, traction control, and regenerative braking for the electric vehicle. The end goal of this project is to develop an autonomous EV framework up to Level 3. I progressed well in this project but later transitioned to another project called "Design of Lift-Off Apparatus for Controlled Spalling Process." This project focused on creating an affordable design for removing GaN layers from sapphire, considering the enhanced properties of GaN compared to Si. I found this project intriguing because of my previous experience with SolidWorks, a design software.

Every week, I met with my internship advisor, Mr. Ajit Paranjpe, who is not only the CTO of a multinational company but also a Stanford graduate. His broad knowledge and excellent guidance helped me complete both projects on time. Now, I'm even extending my internship to develop a prototype of the actual model I worked on.

In addition to my experience at Prima Innotech, I also embarked on a research internship at IIT Mandi. This was an incredibly valuable learning journey. Both these internships were conducted remotely and focused on core mechanical subjects.

Around 15 days after starting the Prima internship, I found myself making smooth and steady progress with the project. While staying in my hometown, I often completed my tasks four days after our general discussions so I would be free for the rest of my week. I have a knack for planning my workflow efficiently, and I always strive to be engaged in my work. Reflecting on this, I had a pivotal moment where I had a deep discussion with myself, thinking of whatever I have done till now. As I thought about things, I realized that I'm not the kind of person who can just relax all day. I'm someone who enjoys staying busy and working on multiple things. I was so confused regarding another internship, but at that moment, I got to look at a quote that said, “Nothing to Lose, Everything to Win”—that moment sparked the fire. I had decided to get another internship done, this time to enhance my profile. I had immense determination to complete another internship and also to become much better.

I delved into a search for research internships, contacting professors and ultimately securing the IIT Mandi summer research internship through their program. I applied on the last day and was set to complete this internship. My plan for this internship involved carefully selecting a project related to design and optimization that could be accomplished remotely. I express my gratitude to Dr. Himanshu Pathak from the SMME Department of IIT Mandi for offering me this chance. The project involved designing wing attachments with tapered bolt configurations to counteract wing drooping. This project required tools like Ansys and SolidWorks.

This project involves the complete design of an aero-structural wing model and the analysis of the total deformation upon tapering bolt attachments. I have also analyzed the variation of total deformation when composite material is used in place of aluminium alloy.

Balancing both internships was possible because I gained virtual access to the IIT Mandi system. My routine consisted of working on the Prima internship in the morning, switching to the IIT Mandi design project in SolidWorks, and then simulating it on a virtual computer, a process that took three to four hours. During this time, I would revisit my Prima Internship tasks. Thanks to my IIT Mandi internship guide, our flexible meeting schedule facilitated a smooth workflow. I structured my day, concluding tasks by evening. While I dedicated the week to work, I also found time for physical activities and trips with friends.

Juggling these internships was undoubtedly challenging, but I managed to fit in with physical activities and socializing. I was exhausted by the end of each day, but the satisfaction of my progress kept me going. After facing various struggles, I successfully completed my IIT Mandi internship right on schedule.

Reflecting on the experience, I wonder how an offline internship might have been different. Remote work has its advantages, such as the flexibility to wake up late and enjoy homemade meals. However, I missed out on the firsthand experience of observing product design and manufacturing in a company. I also couldn't partake in treks and parties like many of my friends did. Despite the pros and cons, the efforts I invested yielded excellent outcomes. These three months taught me invaluable lessons about life's challenges and my capacity to endure and achieve my goals. If any juniors want to know more about both of these internships, feel free to contact me. Thus, my three-month internship session was over.