“Koshish karne walo ki kabhi haar nahi hoti”. Hearing this for the millionth time? Well, it’s true! When the internship season starts in August, but you land yours in the following April, you start believing it.
Hello everyone, I’m Sanchit Verma, a final year undergraduate in the Chemical Engineering Department. I’m currently doing my summer internship at Gujarat Alkalies and Chemicals Limited in the Vadodara plant.
Selection Procedure :
The selection process of GACL was fortunately pretty straightforward. After the resume filtering, there was only one interview (it was my first interview!). It mostly revolved around my previous projects, along with a few questions on fluid mechanics, mass transfer, and heat transfer. There were no specific HR questions, but having some prior knowledge about the company always pays off, irrespective of where you’re applying.
About the Internship :
Gujarat Alkalies and Chemicals Ltd. (GACL) is a government company and has two operational sites in Gujarat. One is in Vadodara (Head Office) and another in Dahej. The Dahej Complex, more widely spread, has the larger-scale chemical plant (250 acres), while the smaller Vadodara also has the registered office (50 acres). Hence, of the selected 6 people from IITB, 4 were posted in Dahej, while two were posted in Vadodara. The first week was all about getting familiar with the plant, with the allotment of mentors and plant visits at both locations.
Each intern was allotted a project in a different unit, covering the whole plant in both complexes. In my 2 months here, I completed 2 projects: one on reducing steam consumption in the Caustic Soda unit, and the second on reducing Natural Gas consumption in the K2CO3 unit. The projects got completed as smoothly as possible, with the constant support of mentors, and it wasn’t a hectic experience. Exposed to the corporate and technical parts of GACL, I found the latter a far more dynamic experience and with a lot to learn. The employees were always happy to assist us interns in the project. There is no hierarchy when it comes to employees and interns. We got the same treatment and facilities as the employees.
The overall goal of the company and the projects was to work towards a greener future by waste recovery and optimizing the plants to reduce input costs. There were 2 more interns in the Vadodara Complex, one from IIT Gandhinagar and another from IIT Patna. In one way or the other, our projects were inter-connected. So, working together with them throughout the project was a new learning experience.
In Dahej:
Every intern was allotted different projects and different mentors. The projects were related to waste utilization, process optimization, and process development. So projects were digitisation of effluent monitoring system, optimisation of cooling towers and chilling systems, utilisation of Brine and PAP sludge, Development of green chemicals. We were assigned a common mentor which was the head of the complex and then a sub-mentor each according to the work area of our projects. The mentors were of A.G.M level with an experience of at least 20 years. They guided us from time to time. We also had the freedom to visit anywhere in the plant. Since they had taken interns for the first-time internship program was not well structured. But it was a good learning experience through projects, plant visits, and meeting with many people with high experience levels. These 2 months were sufficient to get the idea of life that can be expected in the chemical industry.
There is an application of even some of the most basic concepts that we study in the first 3 years of engineering, like, mass balance, energy balance, shell and tube heat exchangers. So, you have to be familiar with them for smooth progress during the project. I actually had to go through some of the 4th-year concepts like, evaporators, boilers, and process design. So, the final year is going to be a lot more relatable. This experience will surely help us to understand the concepts better in the 4th year and also focus on things that are needed in the industry.
About Vadodara :
Vadodara is a city full of flyovers and welcoming people. You’ll definitely run out of time before places to eat, and history buffs are treated to various palaces and museums galore! For people like me, who gravitate more towards nature, you can find beaches and even waterfalls on the outskirts.
About Dahej:
It was an amazing journey of 2 months in which we got to see and learn the practical applications of what we studied. Besides, we had a fun time trying Gujarati food in GACL colony, Bharuch. The food that we got on the site was a bit sweet but manageable. Also, we got the knack of the Gujarati language. The people there were kind and helpful. An interesting thing about Gujarati people is that everyone there loves to go out on weekends to eat. Due to this, almost all restaurants are full on weekends. We also had fantastic day trips to Surat, Vadodara, Ankleshwar, and the Statue of Unity. Our overall experience was good.
The accommodation was provided by the company in Bharuch. Food, accommodation costs, and bus fares were borne by the company. There were traveling issues as the company is in an industrial area where there is no residence so we need to travel 50 km daily. All of the interns were in the general shift (8:30 - 17:15), wore formal dress and the total traveling time (to and fro) was 2 hours.
Ending Note :
Looking at others succeeding as you stagnate is a very difficult phase; however, if you have a goal in mind and keep working hard towards it, you will escape it! Try to give your best, try to connect with experienced people for guidance, and never forget that your closest mentors will be your friends. Good luck!
Special thanks to the interns of Dahej Complex (Meet Ramoliya, Vedant Saraogi, Ankit Hanwate, Ritesh Yeole) for their insights!
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