1 Popular internship programs at ONGC
Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) is one of India’s largest public sector enterprises and a global player in oil and gas exploration and production. Its internships are designed to expose students to real field environments, complex technical challenges, and the scale at which India’s energy sector operates. Each program combines structured mentorship, exposure to ongoing projects, and hands-on assignments so interns can apply their academic knowledge to real industrial problems.
1.1 ONGC Summer Internship Program (Umbrella Program)
The Summer Internship is ONGC’s flagship training initiative, conducted across its work centres and corporate offices. It is open to students from engineering, sciences, management, law, and IT backgrounds. The program runs for 1–2 months during summer or winter breaks and provides structured exposure through mentorship, site visits, and project-linked learning. Within this program, students are placed into specific domains aligned with their academic discipline.
1.2 Engineering Internship Program
This program offers participants structured access to ONGC’s technical environments across drilling rigs, production plants, and processing facilities. It is designed to give engineering students exposure to the systems and technologies that keep large-scale oil and gas operations running, from design frameworks to operational safety. The program emphasizes cross-disciplinary integration, showing how mechanical, petroleum, electrical, and civil engineering functions work together in live projects.
1.3 Geoscience and Reservoir Internship Program
This program introduces participants to the foundations of oil and gas exploration. It offers access to geological data, seismic survey results, and reservoir modeling platforms used by ONGC’s exploration teams. Participants get exposure to the full cycle of exploration and appraisal, from subsurface mapping to reservoir evaluation, so they understand how decisions are made before drilling begins.
1.4 Research and Development Internship Program
ONGC’s R&D internship program is built to showcase how technology and innovation drive energy efficiency and resource optimization. It offers exposure to advanced laboratory facilities, pilot projects, and collaborations with national research institutes. Participants learn how R&D supports the company’s shift toward enhanced oil recovery methods, drilling innovation, and integration of renewable energy within traditional hydrocarbon operations.
1.5 Finance and Business Management Internship Program
This program provides structured insights into how financial planning and business strategy are handled in a capital-intensive sector like oil and gas. It introduces participants to ONGC’s frameworks for capital budgeting, project cost analysis, and investment evaluations. The program also highlights the intersection of financial strategy with policy compliance and global market dynamics, giving participants a practical view of decision-making at a PSU-level corporation.
1.6 Human Resources and Industrial Relations Internship Program
This program is designed to provide participants with a comprehensive view of workforce management in a company that employs tens of thousands of people across India. It offers exposure to ONGC’s recruitment pipelines, training and development models, employee welfare programs, and industrial relations practices. The program highlights how HR strategies are tailored to both corporate offices and remote field units, reflecting the company’s operational diversity.
1.7 Information Technology Internship Program
The IT internship program provides participants with exposure to ONGC’s digital backbone. It is structured around enterprise-level systems such as ERP platforms, SCADA monitoring, and cybersecurity frameworks that support real-time decision-making. The program offers insights into how IT enables both administrative efficiency and field-level operational continuity in an energy environment that spans offshore platforms, refineries, and corporate headquarters.
1.8 Environment, Health and Safety Internship Program
This program focuses on ONGC’s compliance with global safety and environmental standards. Participants are exposed to environmental impact frameworks, occupational health systems, and safety management models that govern oil and gas operations. The program is built to show how environmental stewardship and workforce safety are embedded into every level of ONGC’s operations, from drilling to refining.
1.9 ONGC Foundation Fellowship and Internship Program
Separate from ONGC’s core operations, the ONGC Foundation runs a fellowship and internship scheme as part of the company’s CSR initiatives. This program focuses on promoting art, culture, and handicrafts across India, with projects based in regions such as Rajasthan and Assam. It offers participants structured involvement in community development and cultural preservation projects. Unlike the core summer internship, this program provides stipends and is designed to create social impact beyond the energy sector.
2 Popular roles for interns at ONGC
1. Drilling Operations Intern: You work alongside drilling engineers and rig supervisors, helping to monitor drilling parameters, prepare daily drilling reports, and track equipment performance. You may participate in safety checks and learn how shifts are coordinated on rigs. This role is ideal for students who want to understand the technical and logistical challenges of operating drilling units in remote and offshore environments.
2. Geoscience Analyst Intern: In this role, you support exploration geologists and geophysicists by handling seismic datasets, creating geological sections, and preparing reservoir maps. You may also help with digitizing data for interpretation software. The role gives direct exposure to the tools and workflows used to locate new oil and gas reserves.
3. R&D Project Associate: Interns assist in experimental research, lab analysis, or field pilot projects. Tasks could involve preparing chemical samples, testing drilling fluids, documenting lab results, or supporting data analysis for enhanced oil recovery experiments. This role provides an understanding of how applied research translates into operational improvements.
4. Finance Analyst Intern: You contribute to budgeting, cost monitoring, and capital project assessments. Interns may help prepare cash flow statements, compare estimated vs. actual project costs, and support internal audit activities. The role shows how financial insights directly guide decisions in billion-dollar exploration and production projects.
5. HR Project Coordinator: Interns help design and implement training programs, organize recruitment campaigns, and support employee engagement surveys. You may also assist in preparing compliance documents for industrial relations. This role provides an inside view of managing people in a high-risk, highly regulated sector.
6. IT Systems Intern: You work on ERP modules, cybersecurity checks, and software support for field operations. Tasks may include writing simple automation scripts, analyzing user issues, or preparing dashboards for real-time monitoring.
7. Safety and Compliance Intern: You join safety officers in conducting safety audits, reviewing incident reports, and preparing compliance records. Interns also help organize safety awareness programs and document findings from environmental assessments.
8. Logistics and Supply Chain Intern: You support procurement and supply chain teams by helping track inventory, reviewing vendor performance, and coordinating deliveries to field sites. Interns may assist in preparing supply forecasts or analyzing delays in material movement. This role highlights how logistical efficiency is critical for continuous oil and gas operations.
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