LSE students to intern with Tata companies

The London School of Economics, UK, has joined hands with Tata International Social Entrepreneurship Scheme (ISES) 2010 to enable its students to be part of this distinctive corporate sustainability internship programme, which runs for two months. Started in 2008, Tata ISES also has affiliations with the University of California, Berkeley, USA, and the University of Cambridge, UK for similar programmes.

The primary objective of Tata ISES is to provide students from leading foreign universities an opportunity to work on the community initiative projects of Tata companies in India, providing them grassroots exposure to India while bringing international perspectives and practices to these projects and promoting international understanding, according to a release from the group.

This year's programme will witness 13 scholars from these top universities undertaking summer internships with six Tata companies— Tata Steel, Tata Chemicals, Indian Hotels, Tata Power, Tata Motors and Tata Teleservices — to gain firsthand knowledge of social and community development issues.

The programme will cover subjects such as agriculture, health, environment, women, self-help groups, livelihoods and community engagement initiatives for brand building.

R Gopalakrishnan, executive director, Tata Sons said, "The students experience grassroots realities and this cross-country exchange has helped Tata companies get new ideas and perspectives.”