Music with Moa Subong

From travelling to Nagaland to getting first-hand experience of the Bamhum, the days at National Innovation Foundation were exciting

August 13, 2017 05:00 pm | Updated 05:00 pm IST

“The best things happen when you least expect it.” I have never had a chance to experience this, until April, this year. It all began with a mail from the placement team of Loyola Institute of Business Management, Chennai (LIBA), saying that the National Innovation Foundation (NIF) was recruiting interns. The interview was a phone call from Tushar Garg, a senior executive at NIF, although, it wasn’t much of an interview, but a discussion with him. I was happy when, a few days later, I heard that I was selected to be a part of a business development team of 42 interns who were shortlisted from 720 candidates from business schools all over India.

The best part of my internship was the project and the location — Nagaland — not to forget the amazing people there. My project was the business development process of the Bamhum, a musical instrument invented by musician Moa Subong, which could be played by humming. For an individual who has never participated in musical activities except for listening to songs, all of this was new to me. Regarding the actual project, my objectives covered almost all specialisations. I was exposed to the real market which included company incorporation, market research, feasibility analysis of the Bamhum, gathering requirements for setting up a factory, marketing and advertisement strategy, finding potential markets, and dealing with finances. I stayed in Nagaland for 45 days and worked along with Moa Subong for the project. He also owns a band called Abiogenesis, with his wife Arnela.

How cool was it to intern with musicians! My project was not constrained to just Nagaland. I travelled to Shillong, Meghalaya and Diphu in Assam — two cities that I never dreamt of visiting — in order to research how customers felt about the Bamhum and to gather feedback. The taste of experiencing music as one among them was so rich and I was amazed at being exposed to the talents of the people there.

Forging friendships

However, there are a few things that surprised me. First, the people in Nagaland ate only twice a day. Second, lunch was served at 8 a.m., and dinner at 5 p.m. Being a foodie, these revelations dumbfounded me. Finally, absolutely no night life existed in Nagaland, as the majority of outlets and eateries would close by 6 p.m. But this did not mean I was bored of the city. Every time I stepped out, I was treated like a prince. Nagaland is usually referred to as the land of festivals, but for me, it was more like the land of good food and people.

I was lucky enough to get a chance to explore Delhi and Ahmedabad as well, as part of my project. I have made good friends in every city I visited, and I have everlasting memories that I will cherish forever. I was exposed to a wide variety of food and exquisite delicacies that I absolutely enjoyed and this made the experience more memorable. My internship with NIF exposed me to the practical understanding of the business, and more importantly, the struggles and challenges in starting a new business.

Praveen V., a student of Loyola Institute of Business Administration, Chennai, interned with the National Innovation Foundation.

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