Market Development Intern

At Akaththi Farms, we grow premium exotic mushrooms in Chennai starting with Elm Oyster, with Golden Oyster and Pink Oyster launching soon.

But growing mushrooms is only half the story.

The real challenge is introducing something new to the market helping chefs, stores, and customers discover a product they havent used before.

We are looking for a Market Development Intern who wants to learn how a startup builds a market from scratch.

This is a hands-on role where you learn by doing.

No long meetings.

No theoretical presentations.

Real market experience.

What Youll Be Doing:

Visiting restaurants and premium grocery stores across Chennai

Introducing chefs and store managers to Akaththi Farms mushrooms

Supporting product deliveries to stores, restaurants, and customers when required

Building relationships with chefs, store staff, and food buyers

Collecting real feedback from the market

Observing how a new food product enters and grows in the market

Some days youll be at the farm.

Some days youll be exploring the city.

Thats how markets are built.

Work Model:

This is a hybrid field role.

You will work across:

Farm visits to understand cultivation and operations

Restaurant and retail store visits across Chennai

Customer interactions and deliveries

There is no work-from-home option for this role.

Markets grow through real conversations.

Work Schedule:

Monday to Saturday

Sunday Off

Working hours are flexible, but typically around 8 hours per day, depending on field visits and activities.

Who Can Apply:

Freshers & Final-year students are encouraged to apply.

However, full availability for the entire 3-month internship is mandatory.

This role requires commitment and consistency, so shorter durations cannot be accommodated.

Candidates currently based in Chennai will have an advantage.

Travel Requirement:

This role involves frequent field visits across Chennai.

Candidates who have access to a two-wheeler for commuting to stores and restaurants will find the role easier to manage.

Fuel reimbursement will be provided for field travel.

What Youll Learn:

During this internship you will gain exposure to:

how food startups build markets

restaurant and retail partnerships

real-world sales and distribution

customer behaviour in premium food markets

startup execution and operations

This is real startup experience, not a classroom exercise.

Internship Duration:

3 months

Future opportunities may be explored depending on business growth and mutual interest, but full-time roles are not guaranteed.

Stipend:

We provide a monthly internship stipend to support basic expenses.

Fuel reimbursement will also be provided for daily field activities, including store visits, restaurant visits, and product deliveries across Chennai.