Balram Avittathur
Balram Avittathur
Designation
Professor
Academic Group: Operations Management
Contact
Phone No.: +91-33-7121-2003 (O), +91-33-7121-7003 (R)
Email ID.: balram
Biography
Contact Details:
Indian Institute of Management Calcutta; Diamond Harbour Road, Joka P.O.; Kolkata - 700104, India.
Academics
Academic Background:
- Doctorate: Fellow of Indian Institute of Management Bangalore, 1999.
- Graduation: B.E. in Mechanical Engineering, NIT Rourkela, 1989.
Courses Taught:
- Logistics & Supply Chain Management (MBA2)
- Production and Operations Management (MBA1)
- Production Management (PGPEX-VLM)
- Seminar Course on Supply Chain Management (Doctoral Course)
- Research Seminar on Supply Chain Management (SCM) in the SCM Master's at WU, Vienna, Austria during May, 2021
- Supply Chain Management in the HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management MBA at Leipzig, Germany during May, 2018
- Programme Director of Supply Chain Management, IIMC Management Development Program (MDP), coming year: Dec 9-13, 2024
- Programme Director of HHL Leipzig Global Executive MBA (GEMBA) International Term (hosted by IIM Calcutta in April 2017, March 2019)
- Directed In-Company Training Programs for ArcelorMittal, IOCL, ITC and NTPC
- Directed IIMC Long Duration Programs (LDP) namely Senior Management Program (SMP), Retail Management Program (RMP) and Executive Program on Retail Management (EPRM)
- Regular sessions on Supply Chain Management, Operations Management and Operations Strategy in various MDPs and In-Company Programs offered by IIM Calcutta.
Awards:
- Recipient of Fulbright Post-Doctoral Research Scholarship for the year 2002-2003 (worked with Dr Paul M. Swamidass of Auburn University, USA)
- PD Agarwal-TCI Award for best doctoral research proposals in Management for the year 1997
Consulting Interests:
Consultant to industry on Optimization, Just In Time (JIT) and Supply Chain Management (SCM).
- Important Projects Completed:
- "Rationalization of Coal Movement from Source to NTPC Power Stations" with Prof. S. Mitra, 2015.
- "Review of Trading Business of MSTC Limited" with Prof. A. Banerjee, 2010.
- "Review of JIT at Ispat Industries Limited" with Prof. A. Bhattacharyya and Prof. M.N. Pal, 2008.
- "Medium and Short Term Business Plan for Balasore Alloys Limited" with Prof. A. Banerjee and Prof. P. Mishra, 2008.
- "Review of JIT at Gontermann-Peipers (India) Limited" with Prof. A. Bhattacharyya and Prof. M.N. Pal, 2007.
- "Development of Oil Management Game (simulation software for oil industry)" with Prof. A. Banerjee, 2006.
- "Tariff Fixation for Kolkata Port Trust" with Prof. A. Bhattacharyya and Prof. A. Sen, 2002.
- "Rationalisation of Train Services - Passenger Reservations" for South Eastern Railway with Prof. V.N. Reddy and Prof. R. Roy, 2001.
Current Projects:
- Research Projects Completed:
- Assessment of Competitiveness of Hi-Tech Manufacturing Start Ups in India with P. Mehta and D. Ghosh, 2018 (Government of India funded project).
- Study of cross-border supply chain practices of Indian SMEs with Matthias Thürer of Jinan University, 2017 (IIMC funded research project).
- Next Generation Manufacturing Supply Chains and Digital Economy Research Collaboration with faculty of UK universities, IIMB, IITB and IIT Kgp, 2010.
- “Study of Supply Chain Management Practices in Indian Firms,” 2007 (MHRD funded research project).
- Development of Corporate Game (simulation software) for Post-Graduate Programme course “Management Games” as well as corporate training programs, 2006.
- “The Domestic Airline Industry” with B.K. Sinha, 2002 (IIMC funded research project).
- “Modelling and Evaluation of In-house and Third Party Maintenance” with U.D. Kumar, 2001 (IIMC funded research project).
- “Distribution Modelling at Kurlon Limited” with J. Shah, 1999 (as FPM student, IIMB).
Experience
Work Experience:
- 2008 – present: Professor, Indian Institute of Management Calcutta, Kolkata
- 2015 – 2017: Member of the Board of Governors (as Faculty Representative), Indian Institute of Management Calcutta, Kolkata
- 2004 – 2008: Associate Professor, Indian Institute of Management Calcutta, Kolkata
- 2002 – 2003: Visiting Fulbright Scholar, Auburn University, USA (on Academic Leave from IIM Calcutta)
- 1999 – 2004: Assistant Professor, Indian Institute of Management Calcutta, Kolkata
- 1989 – 1994: Production Engineer, Ashok Leyland Limited, Chennai
Research
Journal Publications:
Link to my Google Scholar Citations
- How to finance the supply chain when you are small? Clearance sale and loan payment timing in financially constrained supply chains with B. Priya, I. Biswas and M. Thürer, International Journal of Production Economics, Vol. 263, September 2023, 108934 (published online on 9 June 2023).
- Multichannel retailer’s channel choice and product pricing: Influence of investment in fit-disclosing technology by competing retailers with R. Joshi, S. Basu and S. Jonnalagedda, International Journal of Production Economics, Vol. 262, August 2023, 108895 (published online on 12 May 2023).
- Assessing Supply Chain Responsiveness, Resilience and Robustness (Triple-R) by Computer Simulation: A Systematic Review of the Literature with P. Saisridhar and M. Thürer, International Journal of Production Research, Vol. 62, No. 4, 2024, pp 1458-1488 (published online on 26 Feb 2023).
- Manufacturer driven strategic coordination as a response to “showrooming” with S. Basak, P. Basu and S. Sikdar, Decision Support Systems, Vol. 133, 2020, 113305.
- Coordination Mechanism, Risk Sharing, and Risk Aversion in a Five-level Textile Supply Chain under Demand and Supply Uncertainty with A. Adhikari and A. Bisi, European Journal of Operational Research, Vol. 282, No. 1, 2020, pp 93-107.
- Supply chain capabilities and competitiveness of high-tech manufacturing startups in India with D. Ghosh and P. Mehta, Benchmarking: An International Journal, Vol. 28, No. 5, 2021, pp 1783-1808 (published online on 31 May 2019).
- Channel coordination using options contract under simultaneous price and inventory competition with I. Biswas, Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Vol. 123, 2019, pp 45-60.
- Application of linear programming in optimizing the procurement and movement of coal for an Indian coal-fired power-generating company with S. Mitra, Decision, Vol. 45, No. 3, 2018, pp 207-224.
- Unlocking the potential of India’s high-tech start-ups with D. Ghosh, P. Mehta and U. Sarkar, Supply Chain Management Review, April 2018 (Vol. 22, No. 2), pp 8-10.
- The price-setting limited clearance sale inventory model with I. Biswas, Annals of Operations Research, (published online in March 2018).
- Pricing and Sourcing Strategies for Competing Retailers in Supply Chains under Disruption Risk with M. Kumar and P. Basu, European Journal of Operational Research, Vol. 265, No. 2, 2018, pp 533-543.
- How do Indian firms source from China? Implications on Cross-Border Supply Chain Management with M. Thürer, Decision, Vol. 44, No. 4, 2017, pp 247-258.
- A game theoretic analysis of multichannel retail in the context of “showrooming” with S. Basak, P. Basu and S. Sikdar, Decision Support Systems, Vol. 103, 2017, pp 34-45.
- A note on limited clearance sale inventory model with I. Biswas, International Journal of Production Economics, Vol. 193, 2017, pp 647-653.
- Impact of structure, market share and information asymmetry on supply contracts for a single supplier multiple buyer network with I. Biswas and A.K. Chatterjee, European Journal of Operational Research, Vol. 253, No. 3, 2016, pp 593-601.
- Supply Chain Management in Emerging Economies with J. Jayaram, Decision, Vol. 43, No. 2, 2016, pp 117-124.
- Green Supply Chains: A Perspective from an Emerging Economy with J. Jayaram, International Journal of Production Economics, Vol. 164, 2015, pp 234-244.
- Supply Chain Insights into India with J. Jayaram, Supply Chain Management Review, July/August 2012 (Vol. 16, No. 4), pp 34-41.
- Supply chain strategies based on recourse model for very short life cycle products with R. Patil and J. Shah, International Journal of Production Economics, Vol. 128, No. 1, 2010, pp 3-10.
- Matching Plant Flexibility and Supplier Flexibility: Lessons from Small Suppliers of U.S. Manufacturing Plants in India with P. Swamidass, Journal of Operations Management, Vol. 25, No. 3, 2007, pp 717-735.
- The Airline Capacity Planning Problem for Network dominated by Low Traffic Sectors with B.K. Sinha, Technology, Operations and Management, Vol. 1, No. 1, 2007, pp 1-16.
- The Retailer Multi-Item Inventory Problem with Demand Cannibalization and Substitution with J. Shah, International Journal of Production Economics, Vol. 106, No. 1, 2007, pp 104-114.
- Distribution Centre Location Modelling for Differential Sales Tax Structure with J. Shah and O.K. Gupta, European Journal of Operational Research, Vol. 162, 2005, pp 191-205.
- Tapping Product Returns through Efficient Reverse Supply Chains: Opportunities and Issues with J. Shah; IIMB Management Review, Vol. 16, No. 4, 2004, pp 84-93.
- Continuous improvement of service operation: Application of service template with R. Natarajan and S. Venkat Ramana, Total Quality Management,Vol. 10, No. 6, 1999, pp 877-885.
Improving Supply Chain Performance through Postponement Strategy with J. Shah, IIMB Management Review, Vol. 11, No. 2, 1999, pp 5-13.
Doctoral Students:
- Indranil Biswas, Graduated in 2015 (2016 Convocation), Associate Professor at NEOMA Business School, France.
- Arnab Adhikari, Graduated in 2016 (2017 Convocation), Assistant Professor at Indian Institute of Management Ranchi.
- Milan Kumar, Graduated in 2018 (2019 Convocation), Assistant Professor at Indian Institute of Management Visakhapatnam.
- Shounak Basak, Graduated in 2018 (2019 Convocation), Assistant Professor at XLRI Xavier School of Management.
- Subhasis Mishra, Graduated in 2022 Convocation, Assistant Vice President, HSBC
- Tania Saha, Graduated in 2022 (2023 Convocation), Assistant Professor at SP Jain Institute of Management & Research (SPJIMR).
- Shivanee Pethe, Graduated in 2023 (2024 Convocation), Assistant Professor at SP Jain Institute of Management & Research (SPJIMR).
- Samir Biswas, Graduated in 2023 (2024 Convocation), Assistant Professor at Indian Institute of Management Udaipur.
Conferences:
- Keynote Address titled "Managing Research and Teaching Challenges in an Academic Career" at the IMRDC2024 conference organized by IIM Bangalore on February 2, 2024.
- Sustainable renewable energy through Time of Use retail pricing in the Proceedings of the 9th International Symposium on Sustainable Leadership held at Salzburg, June 3-6, 2014, pp 11-25.
- Ordering Strategies for Short Product Life Cycle Products with R. Patil and J. Shah in the Proceedings of the 15th International Symposium on Logistics (15th ISL), held at Kuala Lumpur, Malayasia; July 4 – 7, 2010, pp. 301-310.
- Ordering Strategies for Short Product Life Cycle Made-To-Stock Products with R. Patil and J. Shah in the Proceedings of the 13th International Symposium on Logistics (13th ISL), held at Bangkok, Thailand; July 6 – 8, 2008, pp. 387-394.
- Design of an Oil Management Game Software with A. Banerjee in the Proceedings of the 5th International Conference on Service Systems and Service Management (ICSSSM’08), held at Melbourne, Australia; June 30 – July 2, 2008, pp. 449-454.
- The Retailer’s SKU Allocation Problem with J. Shah in the Proceedings of the 9th International Symposium on Logistics (9th ISL), held at IIM Bangalore; July 11-14, 2004, pp. 187-195.
- Distribution Centre Location Modelling for Differential Sales Tax Structure with P. Jain, U. Saha and J. Shah in the Proceedings of the 9th International Symposium on Logistics, held at IIM Bangalore; July 11-14, 2004.
- Productivity/Efficiency Based Resource Allocation Problem with B.K. Sinha and M.N. Pal in “Mathematical Applications in Social and Industrial Sectors,” edited by N.C. Mahanti, Narosa Publishing House, 2001, pp 224-237.
- The Airline Fleet-Mix Cum Aircraft Allocation Problem with B.K. Sinha in the Proceedings of OM Conference 4, held at IIT Madras from December 22-24, 2000, pp. 87-93.
- Optimal Stock Keeping Policy for a Retailer Offering a Standard Product and its Customized Extensions with J. Shah at First AIMS International Conference on Management at IIM Bangalore on December 29, 2003.
- An Approximation Procedure for a Non-Linear Mixed Integer DC Location Problem with J. Shah and O.P. Gupta at INFORMS 2003 Conference, held at Atlanta, USA during October 19-22, 2003.
- Fit between Plant Flexibility and Supplier Flexibility Enhances Profits in US Manufacturers Abroad with P.M. Swamidass at INFORMS 2003 Conference, held at Atlanta, USA during October 19-22, 2003.
- The Airline Capacity Planning Problem for Network dominated by Low Traffic Sectors with B.K. Sinha at Production and Operations Management Society (POMS) Annual Meeting at Savannah, GA, USA in April 2003.
- Distribution Centre Location Modelling for Differential Sales Tax Structure with J. Shah at OM Conference 5, held at SP Jain Institute of Management and Research, Mumbai during December 21-23, 2001.
- The Airline Fleet-Mix Cum Aircraft Allocation Problem with B.K. Sinha at OM Conference 4, held at IIT Madras during December 22-24, 2000.
Evaluation of Supply Chain Management Strategies with J. Shah at ICOQM Conference, NIM, Ahmedabad, 1999.
Working Papers
- Improving Quality in Agricultural Supply Chain through Financing the Smallholder Farmers in Emerging Economies, IIMC WPS, No. 895, May 2023.
- Value of Time of Use pricing in decarbonizing a grid with significant RE Capacity, IIMC WPS, No. 854, December 2020.
- Mid-term Electricity Demand Forecasting: A Parsimonious Model, IIMC WPS, No. 832, August 2019.
- Financially Constrained Limited Clearance Sale Inventory Model, IIMC WPS, No. 815, November 2018.
- Channel coordination using Option Contract under simultaneous price and inventory competition, IIMC WPS, No. 767, July 2015.
- The Price-Setting Newsvendor Model with Variable Salvage Value, IIMC WPS, No. 753, September 2014.
- Impact of Structure, Market Share and Information Asymmetry on Supply Contracts for a Single Supplier Multiple Buyer Network, IIMC WPS, No. 743, March 2014.
- Impact of Time of Use (TOU) Retail Pricing in an Electricity Market with Intermittent Renewable Resources, IIMC WPS, No. 739, January 2014.
- Energy Utility Fuel Allocation Model for Non-Linear Revenue and Regulatory Tariff Implications, IIMC WPS, No. 705, July 2012.
- Modelling and Evaluation of In-House and Third Party Maintenance with U.D. Kumar, IIMC WPS, No. 402/2000, 2000.
- Product Design from a Supply Chain Management Perspective with J. Shah and L.S. Murty, IIM Bangalore Working Paper No. 154, 2000.
- Comparison of Production-Distribution Strategies with Review Periods as Decision Variables: Case of Multi-Product, Multi-Region Production-Distribution System - Part II with J. Shah and L.S. Murty, IIMC WPS, No. 364/99, 1999.
- Comparison of Production-Distribution Strategies with Review Periods as Decision Variables: Case of Multi-Product, Multi-Region Production-Distribution System - Part I with J. Shah and L.S. Murty, IIMC WPS, No. 363/99, 1999.
Research Interests:
Supply Chain Management; Service Operations Management; Business Simulation Games
- Regional Editor – India, Operations Management Research (OMR) from 2009.
- Contributing Editor – India, International Abstracts in Operations Research (IAOR) from 2007.
- Life member of Operations Research Society of India, Kolkata, India (from 2004).
- Life member of Society of Operations Management, Bangalore, India (from 2001).
Books/Book Chapters:
- Excellence in Supply Chain Management with Debabrata Ghosh, Routledge (London), 2020.
- India beyond Jugaad: The opportunities and pitfalls of R&D-based innovations in Perspectives on Economics and Management: Essays in Honour of Anindya Sen edited by Saibal Ghosh & Partha Ray, Taylor & Francis, 2024, pp 292-310.
- Entrepreneurship in India: A Management Perspective in Managing India: The Idea of IIMs and its Changing Contexts edited by R Rajesh Babu & Manish Thakur, Routledge, 2024, pp 219-236.
- Green Retailing: A New Paradigm in Supply Chain Management with A. Adhikari and I. Biswas in Handbook of Research on Strategic Supply Chain Management in the Retail Industry edited by N. Kamath & S. Saurav, IGI Global, 2016, pp 290-307.
- Supply Chain Management in Managing Business in the 21st Century edited by A. Sen & P.K. Sett, Oxford University Press, New Delhi, 2005, pp 184-199.
Articles/Cases:
- Industry response to the slowdown: Seek stimulus or focus on innovations? in Linkedin dated August 21, 2019
- The Amazon Magic: Is it about devotedly being Customer-Centric? in Linkedin dated June 30, 2018
- Implementation of GST is a game-changer in Economic Times dated November 12, 2015
- Role of high-end manufacturing in managing India’s trade balance in Ops World, Vol. 1, 2011, pp. 5-7.
- Route to Growth with P.M. Swamidass in Machinist, Vol. 5, No. 4, 2003, pp. 31-32.
- Zoning in on Success with P.M. Swamidass in Machinist, Vol. 5, No. 2, 2003, pp. 32-33.
- Outbound Logistics and Local Taxeswith J. Shah in Business Line dated January 16, 2002.
- Case: Ride - Charging the Supply Chain with P. Mehta, 2014.
- Case: Wipro Technologies Kolkata Development Center, 2005.
- Case: Kurlon Limited with J. Shah, 1999.