EXPLORE is a structured, institution-led virtual internship program designed for high school students seeking exposure to leading industries, professions, and applied problem-solving. Carefully crafted in collaboration with our partners, the program provides sectoral exposure and the chance to engage in focused project-based work with leading industry professionals.
The program emphasises experiential learning and pragmatic practice, enabling students to engage with real-world contexts and translate ideas into structured outputs. Participants have the choice to pick amongst diverse offerings, and work with practitioner organisations on industry-aligned problem statements to produce portfolio-ready work – building a credible academic profile through demonstrated performance.
Our internship model functions via structured, value-oriented frameworks, offering students key pathways to crafting an effective profile-building portfolio.
posure to high-value sectors, enabling students to understand how work is structured across different domains, functions, and departments.
Access to project-based work grounded in reflective as well as practical frameworks, allowing explorers to engage with tasks in sync with on-ground sector roles.
Assistance with a final capstone report, curated to highlight the student’s academic learnings, guided by industry experts and refined through staged feedback.
Students work individually or in small cohorts, matched with an industry track, program modality and mentor customised closely to supplement extracurricular needs. At EXPLORE, we believe in accountability through defined milestones, iterative feedback, and assessed deliverables while ensuring an enriching student experience.
Explore is a structured, industry-aligned internship program that places students within real-world business contexts. Students are matched to a defined domain and function, where they engage with focused, practitioner-relevant problems situated in a relevant departmental setting. Guided by mentors and structured frameworks, students learn how professional work is scoped, structured, and delivered – producing concise, framework-aligned outputs that reflect genuine industry workflows.
Where Discover builds academic research capability, Explore builds applied, functional, and commercial fluency.
Over 20 Sectoral & Functional Lenses Covered
Media · Research · Marketing · Operations · Finance · Clinical Observership · Consulting · Business Development · Data & Analytics · Human Resources …and many more!
Lifecycle of an Explore Engagement
Please find enclosed the Explore offerings, with specific differentiating outcomes noted.
| Program | Duration | Cost | Level of Engagement | Outcome |
| EXPLORE Sprint | 1 Week | [On request] + GST | 2–3 sessions (3–4 hours each), guided work | Framework-aligned report, LOR |
| EXPLORE Flagship | 2 Weeks | [On request] + GST | 4–6 sessions (3–4 hours each), structured mentorship | Applied analysis, structured report, presentation/feedback, LOR |
| EXPLORE Partner-Led | Custom | [On request] + GST | Co-designed with partner organisation | Live industry deliverable, partner exposure, LOR |
A short, structured introduction to industry-aligned work. Over 2–3 guided sessions, students are placed within a defined domain and function and engage with a focused problem situated in a relevant departmental context.
The emphasis is on understanding how tasks are structured and producing a concise, guided deliverable.
Level of Engagement: 2–3 sessions (3–4 hours each), guided work
Outcome
Duration: 1 Week
Cost: On request + GST
*contingent on successful completion of the program.
A focused internship combining conceptual grounding with applied project work. Over 4–6 sessions, students work within a selected domain, applying a defined functional lens to a problem situated in a specific departmental context.
The program supports the structured development of a complete deliverable, with guided feedback and refinement.
Level of Engagement: 4–6 sessions (3–4 hours each), structured mentorship
Outcome
Duration: 2 Weeks
Cost: On request + GST
*contingent on successful completion of the program.
A fully customised, partner-led engagement designed in collaboration with a host organisation. Students are embedded in a live business challenge defined by the partner, working under joint mentorship from Essai and the partner organisation.
Scope, duration, functional lens, and deliverables are co-designed to align with the partner’s real-world priorities, giving students authentic industry exposure and a tangible contribution to a working team.
Level of Engagement: Co-designed with the partner organisation; sessions and structure scoped to the engagement
Program Scope: Custom domain, function, and departmental context defined jointly with the partner.
The program supports a live, organisation-relevant deliverable with structured mentorship, feedback, and refinement throughout.
Outcome
Duration: Custom
Cost: On request + GST
*contingent on successful completion of the program.
Contact your Account Manager at Essai, the Head of Explore, or your Program Manager, or fill out the online form. Essai staff will match you with a relevant domain, function, and mentor.
An invoice and service agreement will be generated upon confirmation of acceptance. After completion of payment, the program will begin.
Contact Us:
Website www.essai.in/explore
Email: explore@essai.in
Explore is a structured, industry-aligned internship program that places high school and undergraduate students within real-world business contexts. Students are matched to a defined domain and function, where they engage with a focused, practitioner-relevant problem situated in a relevant departmental setting. Guided by experienced mentors and proven professional frameworks, students learn how industry work is scoped, structured, and delivered, producing concise, framework-aligned deliverables that reflect genuine workplace workflows.
The Sprint includes 2–3 sessions (3–4 hours each) of guided work. The Flagship includes 4–6 sessions (3–4 hours each) of structured mentorship. Partner-Led session counts are scoped to the engagement. Across all tracks, mentors are available for review, feedback, and support as needed.
Sessions are conducted virtually via Zoom, Teams, or Google Meet, unless otherwise specified for a Partner-Led engagement. Communication outside sessions is handled through email or WhatsApp groups involving the mentor, student, Essai administration, and, where relevant, parents or guardians.
Explore provides a guided, structured experiential learning experience that helps students understand how professional work is scoped and delivered. Support includes matching to a relevant domain and function, structured frameworks and resource packages, mentor feedback at each stage, and refinement of the final deliverable. Our aim is to ensure the program is a meaningful and rewarding experience.
While we encourage students to complete the program within the given time frame, we acknowledge this may not always be feasible. In such cases, we work with students and mentors to identify a suitable revised timeline with the assistance of the Program Manager.
To participate, kindly fill out the Interest Form and we will revert promptly. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis; we request adequate lead time to confirm domain, function, and mentor availability, particularly for Partner-Led engagements.
Students currently enrolled in high school (Grades 9–12) with a strong interest in exploring industry-aligned, applied work are eligible to apply. Students are welcome regardless of country of study or residence, with no limitation on nationality.
Yes, international students are eligible to apply, and all sessions are conducted virtually so you can participate from anywhere in the world. For Partner-Led engagements, students are thoughtfully matched to partner organisations based on scheduling, time-zone compatibility, and working-hour overlap, so that collaboration feels seamless rather than logistically strained. Wherever possible, we align students with partners in compatible time zones, and structure session timings around mutual availability, ensuring international students enjoy the same hands-on, immersive experience as their local peers.
No prior professional experience is required. Explore is designed to introduce students to how industry work is structured. A genuine interest in the chosen domain and function is what matters most.
Certainly. Kindly fill out the Interest Form and indicate your availability. We will review it and let you know whether your preferred time frame is feasible.
The cost varies based on the track selected (Sprint, Flagship, or Partner-Led) and the level of engagement and customisation involved. Sprint and Flagship costs are fixed per tier (excluding applicable taxes), while Partner-Led pricing is shared on request, scoped to the co-designed engagement.
In the event that you wish to cancel a Sprint or Flagship engagement mid-way, costs will be pro-rated per session and the remainder refunded subsequent to deduction of applicable taxes. Cancellation terms for Partner-Led engagements are defined within the partner service agreement.
Yes. We are committed to access and have provisions to support students who are interested but may not have the means to pay. Please fill out the Interest Form and indicate, in the Additional Comments section, details about your background that may make you eligible. This information is held strictly confidential and serves only to help us better support you. The number of supported slots is contingent on mentor and partner availability.
Explore results in a professional, framework-aligned deliverable modelled on real industry work, alongside structured exposure to how professional tasks are scoped and delivered. Outcomes scale by track: the Sprint produces a concise, guided framework-aligned report; the Flagship produces a complete structured report with applied analysis, a presentation, and guided feedback; and the Partner-Led track produces a live, partner-defined deliverable with direct exposure to a working organisation, often enriched by an observership. All tracks include a Letter of Recommendation upon successful completion.
Yes. Upon successful completion of the program, students receive a Letter of Recommendation from their mentor. We understand that recommendation letters are a necessity rather than a privilege in application and admissions processes. However, the level of detail in the letter is contingent on the student’s level of performance.
The deliverable is a structured, framework-aligned output that mirrors real workplace artefacts, such as a strategy brief, research summary, marketing plan, or analytical report, depending on the functional lens applied. For Partner-Led engagements, the deliverable contributes to a live business challenge defined by the host organisation.
Flagship participants present their work and receive structured feedback. Partner-Led participants present to partner stakeholders. Sprint participants receive guided feedback on their concise deliverable.
Explore is an experiential learning program designed to build applied skills and industry fluency; it does not guarantee employment. Partner-Led engagements, including observerships, offer direct exposure to a working organisation and team, which can be valuable for future academic and professional opportunities.
