This Indian start-up is hiring interns aged 60 and above
In what seems like a direct inspiration from Oscar-winning actor Robert De Niro's 2015 comedy, "The Intern", an Indian start-up called Truebil is now hiring 60-year-old interns. Just like Ben Whittaker (played by De Niro), eligible citizens aged 60 and above can now work for Truebil - a virtual marketplace for pre-owned cars - as interns for short-stints. Here's more about the opportunity.
According to specialist staffing firm Xpheno's co-founder Kamal Karanth, while a section of senior citizens in India are keen to continue working as a consultant or on a part-time basis, senior citizen employment in India remains low-to-moderate, at best.
The process of hiring senior citizens as new interns has been initiated and is currently underway. As per the available information, Truebil will hire eight interns aged 60 and above who have had experience in mid to senior management levels. The opportunity provides retired senior citizens with a second innings, wherein they'll be able to work with new technology in a new-age organization.
The interns will be hired for a period of three months at a monthly stipend of Rs. 15,000 plus lunch and travel expenses. Senior interns will not be expected to work like regular interns and will have flexible work hours. The initiative will begin in Truebil's Mumbai office, and will eventually expand to Delhi and Bengaluru.
Hiring sexagenarians as interns will serve a two-fold function for Truebil, according to co-founder and marketing head Shubh Bansal. On one hand, senior citizens will get the opportunity to work with new and emerging technology, and understand the workings of a new-age organization. On the other hand, the senior citizen interns would be able to mentor Truebil's 200-odd employees.
Mumbai-based virtual used car marketplace Truebil was launched in May 2015, and currently operates in Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru. Using AI algorithms, the company predicts the ideal value of used cars based on various parameters like condition of the car, demand, etc. Founded by 7 entrepreneurs, Truebil has raised a total of $8.6 million from multiple investors in three rounds of funding.
