Interning at Luxury Ampersand Frolics – The story of 3 MGLuxM students

At SP Jain, we believe that the skills you gain in your classroom are of little value unless you know how to apply them in the real world. Internships and live industry projects not only enhance classroom learning, but also allow students to test out their interests and develop long-term career plans. This is one of the main reasons why all the students of SP Jain’s Master of Global Luxury Management (MGLuxM) take up a mandatory 2-month internship or live project towards the end of their program, graduating with in-depth knowledge and expertise about the luxury industry.

Recently, in an attempt to apply their newfound luxury management skills in the real world, Yash Patel (MGLuxM Batch 6), Priyanshi Jain (MGLuxM Batch 6), and Shivansh D Lodha (MGLuxM, Batch 7) started interning with Luxury Ampersand Frolics Group (LAFG) – one of India’s leading luxury groups, where they worked closely with Rahul Kapoor (Co-Founder, LAFG) in different units within the group.

What was their internship experience like? We caught up with them to find out.

Q. Tell us about your internship with Luxury Ampersand Frolics Group. What has your experience been like, so far?

Yash: Studying luxury brand management at SP Jain and attending masterclasses by top luxury leaders, I had been dreaming about working with a luxury brand for a while now. Naturally, when I got an opportunity to work at LAFG with Mr. Rahul Kapoor, I was beyond thrilled!

As a Business Development Trainee with The India Watch Club (one of the 9 units within the organisation), my role requires me to work with various luxury micro watch brands around the world, building relationships with them and learning about their heritage and craftsmanship.

There is a stark difference between learning theories and applying them in the real world. Working with The India Watch Club, I get an opportunity to apply my knowledge and improve my market positioning, marketing, communication, and writing skills. This internship has brought me closer to my dream of becoming a global luxury leader and a game-changer.

Priyanshi: I am currently working with LAFG, and my role requires me to cover numerous responsibilities that are necessary to grow a business. Each day brings forth its own sets of challenges, and this is a great opportunity for me to make decisions on my own and learn about my strengths and weaknesses.

Shivansh: From dreaming about cigars to actually working in a cigar club – it has been such an amazing journey so far!

I consider myself lucky to have got an opportunity to be a part of LAFG’s The India Cigar Club. Mr. Rahul Kapoor is a wonderful leader, a thorough gentleman, and a great teacher. He makes work fun and is extremely flexible to work with. In such a short span of time, he has already taught me a lot about how the cigar lounges across the country work, helping me learn about the different brands that are prevalent here.

Working in the Business Development team, my role has also helped me improve my interpersonal skills a lot, and is giving me an opportunity to explore my creative side and come up with out-of-the-box, innovative solutions.

Q. Did your time at SP Jain help you in your current role?

Yash: Yes, definitely! The luxury industry operates by its own rules and keeping up with the standards of the luxury market is not everyone’s cup of tea. SP Jain’s Luxury Management program helped me in many ways, right from understanding the principles of luxury to the minute details of building a luxury brand or service. My internship at The India Watch Club requires me to have a digital presence, and the skills I gained in my classroom were a huge help for this. Today, thanks to all my mentors at SP Jain and MIP, I am able to face the numerous challenges that come my way and emerge successful.

Priyanshi: The SP Jain Luxury Management program helped me build a 360-degree understanding of the luxury industry, giving me insights on how to grow a luxury brand. During my time at SP Jain, I was able to interact with several top industry leaders who taught us how to strategically plan out and manage the social media accounts of leading luxury brands – a skill that I am applying every day at my current internship.

Shivansh: The best thing I liked about the MGLuxM program is its practical approach to teaching. Learning from top international faculty and solving real-life case studies under their guidance helped me build vital skills that I am currently applying to my internship. The tools and techniques taught in class have helped me finish my tasks on time and get a better understanding of the industry.

Q. How did your terms in Mumbai and Milan – two dynamically different cities from across the world – help you?

Yash: The exposure we gained at Mumbai and Milan has been truly commendable. The masterclasses from the industry experts at both destinations were amazing and full of interactions. While our curriculum in Mumbai focused on understanding consumer behaviour in India – a developing market, the curriculum in Milan helped understand the functioning of Europe’s developed luxury market – right from sourcing the raw materials to selling the final products at high-end luxury retail outlets.

Priyanshi: Our terms in Mumbai and Milan cover different sets of subjects, and the curriculum in both the terms complement each other. While the term in Mumbai helps build a foundation about the luxury industry, Term 2 and 3 in Milan are much more rigorous and challenging, delving into the depths of the industry and training us to apply our new knowledge in the real world.

The knowledge I gained in both these cities helped me build a holistic understanding of the industry, and this has played a pivotal role in me being successful at LAFG.

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