India, April 27 -- Until a year ago, Sujata Kini imagined herself stepping into her father's logistics business. But everything changed after a voluntary, two-month internship arranged by her college. Today, as a trainee product manager in a private insurance company, she's never been more certain of the career path she's chosen.

Like Sujata, thousands of undergraduate college students will soon benefit from internships, a programme that will be enforced from the upcoming academic year starting in May. Also called On-Job Training (OJT), these internships are mandated under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 currently being rolled out by the Maharashtra government.

Industry exposure, the government reasons, is crucial for students ...