The IIMA Chair Professor
Operations and Decision Sciences
Debjit Roy is an Institute Chair Professor in the Operations and Decision Sciences area at the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad, India. He holds a Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering (with a major in Decision Sciences/Operations Research and a minor in Computer Science) and an MS in Manufacturing Systems Engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison besides an M.Sc. (Engineering) from the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India. He is also a visiting professor at the Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University, and Stephen M. Ross School of Business, University of Michigan, where he is actively involved in both teaching and research in the broad areas of operations and logistics. At IIM Ahmedabad, he serves as the chair of research and publications office and founding co-chair of the Centre for Transportation and Logistics.
His research focuses on improving system performance using quantitative methods such as stochastic modeling and optimization. His specific research interests are to estimate the performance of logistical and service systems such as container terminals, automated distribution centers, vehicle rental, healthcare, and restaurant systems. He has received several research awards including the IIE Transactions best conference paper award in Facility Logistics (2011, 2019), honorable mention for the Jack Meredith best paper award in Journal of Operations Management (2019), and honorable mention designation in the IIE Transactions best applications paper award competition (2016), and has published in several leading international journals such as Operations Research, Transportation Science, Journal of Operations Management, IISE Transactions, and Interfaces. He is also the lead author of the first book on Trucking Business Management published by McGraw-Hill in 2016. He served the Transportation Science and Logistics Society (INFORMS) board as an International Liaison Officer for Asia, Australia, and New Zealand (2017-2019). In 2019, he received the Innovative Teaching Award from Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University. He received the IIMA outstanding researcher award during 2018 and 2020. In 2020, he received the InsideIIM Best Professor of the Year Award and was also elected as the chair of the Facility Logistics SIG, Transportation Science, and Logistics INFORMS Society. In 2021, he received the Basant Kumar Birla Distinguished Research Scholar Award for Social Science and Management. In 2022, he received the INFORMS Innovative Applications in Analytics Award, IIMA's Distinguished PGPX Faculty Award, and the best paper award at the POM India International Conference.
At IIM Ahmedabad, he coordinates the executive education programmes in Restaurant Management, Warehouse Design and Management, Youth Transport Entrepreneurs Programme, and Logistics Management. His teaching interests include various courses in Operations and Logistics Management, Quantitative System Performance, and Manufacturing Strategy.
Primary Area : Operations and Decision Sciences
Email : debjit@iima.ac.in
Phone : +91-79-7152 4823
Office : KLMDC FF Room No 62
Secretary : Anjali Nair
Phone : +91-79-7152 7742
Website : Personal Website
Social Links :
B.Tech., Manufacturing Engineering, National Institute of Foundry and Forge Technology, Ranchi, India, 2000
M.Sc. (Engineering), Management Studies, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India, 2002
M.S., Manufacturing Systems Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA, 2007
Ph.D., Industrial and Systems Engineering, Decision Science/Operations Research, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA, 2011
MBA Teaching, IIM Ahmedabad
Course title: Probability and Statistics –I, Logistics Management, Operations Management-I, Operations Management – II, Manufacturing Operations Management, Quantitative System Performance
Feedback: 9/10 (on average)
Executive MBA Teaching, IIM Ahmedabad
Course title: Setting and Delivering Service Levels, Logistics Management
Feedback: 9/10 (on average)
MBA Teaching, Rotterdam School of Management
Course title: Advanced Supply Chain Management (co-taught with Prof. Finn Wynstra)
Feedback: 4.8/5 (on average)
Masters in SCM, Rotterdam School of Management
Course title: Managing performance of manufacturing and service systems
Feedback: 4.5/5 (on average)
EXECUTIVE EDUCATION
Facilitator, Management Development Programme at IIM Ahmedabad (2012-Present)
PROFESSIONAL SERVICE
PHD STUDENT SUPERVISION
Applications
Logistics and service systems including container terminals, automated warehouses, vehicle rental, trucking, dine-in restaurants.
Methods
Stochastic processes, Queuing theory, Optimization, Simulation, Empirical
Visiting Associate Professor in Technology and Operations, Stephen M. Ross School of Business University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA, (August 2018-May 2019)
Visiting Professor in Technology and Operations, Stephen M. Ross School of Business University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA, (March 2020-April 2020)
Postdoctoral Researcher, Department of Technology and Operations Management Rotterdam School of Management Erasmus University, Netherlands, (August 2011-February 2012)
Associate Professor in Operations Management, Department of Technology and Operations Management Rotterdam School of Management Erasmus University, Netherlands, (March 2017-present)
Assistant Professor in Operations Management, Department of Operations and Decision Sciences Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India, (March 2012-August 2014)
Associate Professor in Operations Management, Department of Operations and Decision Sciences Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India, (September 2014-February 2020)
Professor of Operations Management, Department of Operations and Decision Sciences Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India, (March 2020-Present)
Visiting Researcher, Advising PhD students who are working on distribution warehouse management, and independent research on container terminals, warehouse automation and robotization., Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University, April-May 2013, April-May 2014, April-May 2015, May-June 2016
Doctoral Research, Thesis - Design and Analysis of Unit-load Warehouse Operations using Autonomous Vehicles, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2011
Master's Research, Thesis - Stochastic Models for Stock Rationing in Multi-echelon Supply Chains, Indian Institute of Science, 2002
Member of INFORMS
Member of the ISyE Student Advisory Board, 2007 – 2010
Reviewer for 2011 IERC Conference, 2010 M&SOM Conference, 2013, 2011 and 2010 IEEE Conference on Automation Science and Engineering, 2010,2011,2013
Editorial Board Member of International Journal of Automation and Logistics
Adhoc Reviewer of IIE Transactions, International Journal of Production Research, Transportation Science, Operations Research, MSOM, European Journal of Operations Research, Computers and Operations Research
Chair – Post Graduate Programme in Food and Agri-business Management, June 2015 – June 2017
Special Issue Co-editor, International Journal of Production Research, Warehouse Design and Management
TSL Cluster Chair – INFORMS International Conference Taipei, 2018
Transportation Science and Logistics Society, International Liaison for Asia, Australia and New Zealand
Training/Consulting, Food Corporation of India, KFC India, Mahindra Trucks and Buses Limited, Shipping, Kunvarji Group, March 2012-Present
Research Assistant, Center for Quick Response Manufacturing, University of Wisconsin-Madison, January 2006 – July 2011
Risk Manager, GE Consumer Finance, Stamford, Connecticut, USA , January 2005-December 2005
Six Sigma Black Belt, General Electric, Analytic Center of Excellence, Bangalore, India, July 2003 - December 2004
Business Analyst, General Electric, Analytic Center of Excellence, Bangalore, India, January 2002 - June 2003
2002 - GE Six Sigma Green Belt Certification
2002 - Customer Award from GE Rail Car Services, Chicago, IL for exemplary performance
2004 - GE Train the Trainer Certification
2005 - GE Six Sigma Black Belt Certification
1999 - Young Engineering Fellowship Award for academic excellence
2002 - Prof. B.G. Raghavendra Medal for the best Master's thesis in Operations Research
2008 - Vinod K. and J. Gail Sahney Scholarship for academic excellence
2009-2010 - AS/RS Product Section Honor Scholarship
2009 - Wunsch Material Handling First Prize for the best paper on Material Handling Topics
2010 - Wunsch Material Handling First Prize for the best paper on Material Handling
2010-2011 - Tiffin Metal Products Honor Scholarship
2011 - Wunsch Material Handling First Prize for the best paper on Material Handling
2011 - Best IIE Annual Conference Paper Award in Facility Logistics Track
2013 - Amity Academic Excellence Award for contributions to Production and Quantitative Management
2016 - Listed as a Subject Matter Expert in Decision Sciences Area in Research productivity in management schools of India during 1968-2015: A directional benefit-of-doubt model analysis, Omega, 2016, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.omega.2016.02.004.
2016 - Honorable Mention designation in the IIE Transactions Focused Issue on Design and Manufacturing Best Applications Paper Award Competition
2018 - The IIMA Alumni VVEF Outstanding Researcher Award, awarded on the 53rd IIMA convocation
2017, 2018 - High Performing Research Member
2019 - Invited as an inaugural speaker in the Logistics & Supply Chain track of the IISE annual conference
2019 - Best IISE Annual Conference Paper Award in Facilities Design and Planning Track
2019 - Honorable Mention for the Jack Meredith Best Paper Award
2019 - RSM Innovative Teaching Award
2020 - The IIMA Alumni VVEF Outstanding Researcher Award awarded on the 55th IIMA convocation
2020 - InsideIIM Professor of the Year
Open Access Government, 2019
Open Access Government, 2019
Automotive World, 2019
Mint, 2015
