Internship Diary 2021 — OfBusiness
Since the day I got placed in Ofbusiness via the SIP at IIM Kozhikode, I have awaited the day when I could begin exploring the Fintech Industry as a part of the team. I researched about the industry, spoke with my seniors about the company and was elated to know that Ofbusiness holds a place amongst the fastest growing and high valued companies of its kind and thus my enthusiasm to work with such a growth driven company only kept on increasing.
26th April, 2021, day one brought with it a taste of the unrelenting spirit and drive within ofbians which is at the core of the success of Ofbusiness.
As someone with no prior exposure in the agri industry, Ofbusiness has been a platform for me to deep dive and understand the overall functioning of the industry, bring out characteristics that differentiate it from others. The expert guidance of my manager and team has led to an upward swing in my learning curve. The strong support system of colleagues who have always gone the extra mile in not only assisting me to gain the requisite knowledge but also placing an emphasis on execution in real life.
As a part of the team I have inculcated that process knowledge and execution should go simultaneously and that corrective actions are to be taken to stay on the path of achieving the predetermined goal. Even in the current WFM setting due the covid pandemic the entire process remains streamlined and the team is kept updated about the progress so we learn from our shared experiences.
Ownership among ofbians is remarkable as the organisational structure provides for delegation of important goals that brings out the best in each of us. The interlinkages between the various functions mandates interaction between different verticals and across teams which invariably has been the source of constant client centric and innovation driven growth. With a flat hierarchy approach to management the opportunities for personal as well as professional growth of any employee is only limited by the effort that one puts in.
This internship has provided me with learnings such as the major distinguishing characteristic of the industry is that SMEs play a significant role. The valuation model of SMEs and its associated problems is something that I could have learnt only through dealing with SMEs clients and owners and the practical exposure it brings as unlike the MNCs where valuation is more structured and done through established norms, when it comes to SMEs their valuation is heavily leveraged on negotiation. While focussing on building the distribution network I learnt about the two major channels of retails i.e the Modern trade and General trade and how flow varies between the two in terms of volume of commodity transacted and financial flow.
Finally, with the lockdown restrictions easing up comes the opportunity to physically interact and further engage myself as I stand today crossing the middle mark of my exciting 2 months with Ofbusiness.
Shreyash Sahu — INT/108 ,Agri Division, IIM Kozhikode