No, in most cases, IIMs, XLRI, and FMS don’t count internships or working at an NGO as work experience. These institutes usually have a clear policy regarding work experience. Paid work experiences after graduation are counted.
You can add your internships or experience of working in NGO to your CV, under extracurricular activities. These experiences do add some importance to your resume, as it shows you have some sort of experience in that area.
My friend has secured a seat in XLRI and her NGO work record didn’t help her at all at the time of admissions. Here’s why-
Therefore, any NGO and internship experience won’t help you get admission to these institutes. However, they do hold importance in your CV, because you are getting some knowledge and experience in that particular field which. You can also use the procured skills in debate tournaments as good talking points during the interview if you happen to get a call.