2025.02.01
News
-Report- 4 students experience Indian startup companies as part of Chuo internship program

During the summer vacation in August and September 2024, four students from the Faculty of Science and Engineering and six students from the Faculty of Global Management took part in an internship program. They were placed in Indian startup companies or a Japanese company located in Bengaluru, a southern city in India known as the “Indian Silicon Valley.” This program is part of the courses “Global Internship” and “Internship” of the Faculty of Science and Engineering and the Faculty of Global Management, respectively.
All ten students returned home with invaluable experience gained over the course of one month. In this article, we share the stories of four participants about their time in India as internship students.
REPORT #01

I want to start a business and stay in touch with India
Marina Okawa / First grade in the Faculty of Science and Engineering
Company: Rakuten India Enterprise Private Limited
I worked in the Global Ad Technology Department (GATD) which oversees the entire ad system and engaged in creating user-friendly wireframe design for in-house developed applications.
My mentor was an Indian product manager who had worked at the Japanese company for eight years. With his dedicated support, I went through a process of trial and error to design a wireframe that made it easier for users to access appropriate services. I learned a lot from my highly specialized colleagues, who were always quick to answer my questions.
At first, I had difficulty understanding English but it didn’t take me long to get used to it. To make the most of my internship, I kept in mind to ask if I was unsure, and not to hesitate but just ask. I was confused when I was first handed the materials such as logos and pictures to build a website, however, I soon realized that trial and error is an important part of the process.
"Ask if unsure" "Trial and error that counts"
One more aspect I highly valued was the working environment, where we spent most of our days. Rakuten India is equipped with sofas on each floor for employees to relax with coffee and goodies, a place to take a nap, a space to play billiards, and even a gym. Everyone looked happy to work there as they could take breaks whenever they needed.
I joined this program because I wanted to visit India and also because I want to start a business one day. In addition, I was encouraged by a Japanese entrepreneur who had studied in India telling me, “visiting the country will change your life.” I came to see India as a more competitive country than Japan with young, vibrant, and highly populated people eager to succeed. Even though it’s a competitive society, the Indian people are respectful, kind and neat.
This meaningful one-month experience really stimulated my entrepreneurial spirit. In the future, as an AI engineer, I hope to be in a business partnership with the Indian people. I hope I can start a business in a sector that makes Indian people love Japan, such as a tourist area.

Giving a presentation

Snapshot with my colleague

Receiving the certification
REPORT #02

Indian mindset “do not hesitate”
Brave enough to cut in conversation
Kaname Noguchi / First grade of the Faculty of Science and Engineering
Company: Rakuten India Enterprise Private Limited
For the first two weeks, I worked with the Product Marketing Team and for the remainder of the time, I was with the Management Team, where I was in charge of grasping the overall tasks of the team and assisting with marketing through email.
I chose this IT company in Bengaluru because it has more engineers than Silicon Valley in the US, and I thought it would benefit my future job search. However, what I learned the most wasn’t just business etiquette such as how to communicate with colleagues etc., but the fact that each company shares its own values and culture with employees.
Almost all of the employees at Rakuten India were local people but the same principles that guide the Japanese office, known as “Rakuten Shugi (Rakuten Basic Principles)” were deeply penetrated to the local employees. They were always conscious of being “keep improving, keep moving forward” and “speeding up! speeding up! speeding up!” My mentor also encouraged me to speed up my workflow saying “push push push!” It was very rewarding when the solution I presented on how to increase contract closure was well received.
Speaking up my opinion
Here is an episode in which I felt “this is so Indian!”
My mentor was very busy but he promised me to have a five-minute meeting every morning and afternoon. Sometimes, though, he would be in long conversations with colleagues, and I couldn’t interrupt him.
Being Japanese, I felt guilty to barge in on them and wasn’t brave enough to do so. However, my mentor told me that all I need to think about is not to waste my time so “don’t hesitate.”
Thanks to this experience, I became more confident in speaking up. If you feel constrained in Japan, a country that emphasizes to “read an atmosphere,” maybe India is the place for you.
Everything was new to me, from working as an intern to using English in a professional setting. It was a valuable opportunity to realize the importance of communicating with people from different country and understanding various cultures. I also want to gain experience through internships at domestic companies. Now I am willing to learn about data science and programming.

At the final presentation

Receiving the certification

Decorating the office for the Independence Day
REPORT #03
Speedy Indian company: “Try before mulling it over, quickly improve if it failed”
Rio Tanahashi / Third year of the Faculty of Global Management
Company: Mylin
I was in charge of introducing streaming service technology to overseas companies in the Marketing Division at Mylin, a company that leverages AI technology to provide services to other companies. Although it is a small company with just 44 employees, Mylin has gained undeniable credibility thanks to its authentic technology.
How reliable is their technology? For example, the company enables high quality streaming of soccer games under the relatively low internet speeds in Indonesia. My clients were also the nations’ streaming service companies including Indonesia. Since popular video contents differs between countries, I learned the importance of developing tailored strategies and approaches to each market.
My colleagues were all friendly so I had no trouble asking questions from the very first day. As for communicating in English, there were a few unfamiliar IT business terms but it wasn’t a big deal since I had lived in America for six and a half years.
Leveraging English Proficiency to Work Abroad
Most Japanese companies tend to ponder before launching a new business. In contrast, Indian companies dive right in with a trial and error mindset. If it fails, they improve it.” I felt the Indian companies work speedily.
I was having trouble with researching other countries’ markets while preparing for my final internship presentation, however, thanks to my mentor’s useful advice, I was able to successfully give an online presentation after coming back to Japan. I felt a great sense of accomplishment in designing my own marketing strategy and accomplishing it.
My colleagues were surprised to hear me say “good morning” and “otsukaresama deshita” in every situation, as they didn’t have the custom of greeting each other like that. However, all the Indian people I met were very nice and friendly, and I grew to like them a lot.
Since I was in high school, I have dreamed of leveraging my English skills to work abroad. Now I have started a job search in Japan, but I feel like I want to join an overseas internship program again. What makes India special is the opportunity to gain first-hand experience in such a rapidly growing country.

Smile with the colleagues

The art exhibition I visited on my day off

Indian cuisine restaurant
REPORT #04

Generating Value through Opinion Exchange
Outa Iino / Second grade of the Faculty of Global Management
Company: Yulu
Yulu is a rapidly growing startup company established in 2019, that rents out small type of bikes. I worked at the Business Team where almost 60 colleagues worked. I found this job rewarding as I was able to apply the philosophy I learned at the Faculty of Global Management such as proposing locations for bike rental stations.
The most rewarding experience was gaining insight into the mindset of the Indian people. Their nationality and values differ from those of Japan. Indian people have a strong sense of “I am the one who is responsible” and take pride in their skills and work. They are proactive and have a large appetite in many aspects. Through crashing their opinions, they know something important can be found.
After two weeks, I had a discussion with my business team leader about the salient point of where to put the station, I disagreed with my leader’s opinion, referring to a similar case in Japan. My leader gradually changed his mind saying “that’s a good point of view.” Before coming here, I tended to overly respect other opinions but I realized that I need to speak up and I learned the importance of voicing my thoughts. I believe I became a bit braver.
My colleagues do things in a businesslike manner so I was first worried whether I could get along with this atmosphere. However, as I gave presentations twice a week, they started to respond to me positively. I was happy to learn that I had won acceptance from my boss and colleagues.
Trial and Error
“If challenged and did not work, just rethink from that point”
The founder of Yulu is an Indian in his fifties, and he studied at the Graduate School of The University of Tokyo. He is truly a businessman adopting the philosophy of “Japanese overthink too much. First, try it and if it doesn’t work, just rethink from that point.” He believes that the trial and error attitude is crucial to keep up in this fast-growing business environment.
He also offered to lend me 50 bikes if I were to start the same business in Japan. He really is a remarkable person and a great entrepreneur. I really admire the frankness of Indian people. This experience has further motivated me to start my own business. While I am at Chuo University, I hope to go abroad as an intern to experience business practice in growing countries such as Malaysia and Singapore.
This was my first time going abroad. and I highly recommend India to anyone looking to experience new values.

With my team member

Yulu's reception

The office building