Operations Research and Data Analytics in Transportation and Logistics

Abstract

Modern warehouses are complex, dynamic systems where effective decision-making is critical to improving throughput, storage utilization, and operational efficiency. This talk explores the role of Operations Research (OR) and mathematical optimization in addressing key warehouse challenges, including inventory allocation, put-away planning, storage assignment, replenishment, and order picking. It highlights how optimization models can integrate operational constraints, inventory characteristics, business priorities, and real-time warehouse events to generate efficient and actionable decisions. Particular emphasis will be placed on large-scale optimization models for automated and robotic warehouse environments, where solution quality must be balanced with computational scalability and real-time responsiveness. Drawing on practical industry applications, the talk will discuss the challenges of translating mathematical models into production-ready decision-support systems. It will also explore opportunities for integrating AI with Operations Research to build intelligent, adaptive, and scalable warehouse optimization solutions.

About the speaker

Nageswara Reddy Kondreddy is a Lead Operations Research Scientist at GreyOrange, where he works on optimization-driven decision-making for warehouse operations and robotic fulfillment systems. He holds a Ph.D. in Industrial and Systems Engineering from IIT Kharagpur. His professional experience includes developing optimization solutions for supply chain and logistics applications at GreyOrange, Blue Yonder, and FICO. His technical expertise spans mathematical optimization, mixed-integer linear programming, warehouse storage and inventory allocation, put-away planning, and large-scale optimization using commercial and open-source solvers. His interests lie at the intersection of Operations Research, AI, and decision intelligence, with a focus on translating advanced optimization methods into scalable, real-world industrial applications.

Abstract

The abstract will be posted soon.

Abstract

India is the world's fifth-largest air cargo market and lies within four to six hours' flying time of 60% of the world's population, yet it has not become a transshipment hub. Transshipment makes up about half of air cargo worldwide and close to 80% at Singapore and Dubai, while India's share is probably under 5%. To understand why, the study draws on interviews and consultations with senior stakeholders across the cargo chain, multi-stakeholder events, airport site visits and policy documents. The evidence was analyzed using hybrid thematic analysis, with five pillars as the framework: growth strategy, infrastructure transformation, operational efficiency, policy and regulatory enablement, and technology and stakeholder integration. The findings show that process, more than physical capacity, holds India back, and that the constraints are closely linked, with most of them starting in policy. Many of the fixes are already approved but not yet in practice. The talk closes with recommendations for each pillar and for the agencies that need to act.

About the speaker

Adnan Pasha is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the IIT Madras FedEx SMART Center, where he leads the study on making India an air cargo transshipment hub, carried out along with IITB FedEx ALFA. His research covers air cargo and maritime logistics, inland waterway transport and port operations, and combines optimization, discrete choice modelling and qualitative methods. He received his Ph.D. from IIT Roorkee for work on optimizing inland waterway terminal operations, and was a Commonwealth Split-Site Scholar at Loughborough University, UK for one year. He has also worked with the National Highways Authority of India.

Abstract

When most operators hear "Legal and Compliance," they picture a brake. In this talk I argue the opposite: in a modern supply chain, legal and compliance structures are not a cost of doing business but a source of speed, trust, and competitive advantage. I will walk the operational value chain – source, make, store, move, sell, serve, and reverse logistics – and show how a legal and regulatory substrate runs underneath every operating decision, from sourcing and warehousing to last-mile, data, and pricing. Building on that map, I will offer a simple framework for the four ways legal and compliance create value: they protect it through risk and continuity, accelerate it through pre-cleared playbooks and clear decision rights, unlock it by enabling new fulfilment models and clean expansion, and signal it by building trust with customers, partners, and regulators. I will show how these structures are embedded in the operating model – as a design partner in planning and network decisions rather than a downstream approval gate – and why India's environment of many regulators, evolving data and e-commerce rules, and third-party-operated fulfilment makes getting the structure right especially consequential. An anonymised case vignette will illustrate how a response mechanism built before it was needed can turn a potential crisis into a controlled, value-preserving outcome. I will close with practical takeaways for future leaders: treat compliance as a design input, build the mechanism before the event, and become bilingual in both operations and compliance. The session is intended for operators, not lawyers, and ends with an open discussion.

About the speaker

Yogesh Sachdeva is a senior leader in Operations Legal at Amazon India and a dual-qualified lawyer and company secretary with over 20 years of experience across several industries. He partners with operations and supply-chain teams to turn legal and compliance structures into a source of speed, trust, and business value – bringing practical, implementable legal guidance to the leadership he supports. His work spans the full operating chain, from sourcing and fulfilment to transportation and last-mile, with particular depth in data protection, regulatory response, and the legal design of third-party-operated fulfilment networks. He is known for embedding legal as a design partner in planning and network decisions rather than a downstream approval gate, and for building response mechanisms and playbooks before they are needed. A frequent advocate for operators becoming "bilingual" in both operations and compliance, he speaks regularly on how disciplined legal structures help businesses move faster, with control, in a complex and fast-evolving regulatory environment.

Abstract

Although Inland Water Transport is a greener mode of transport and has lower transportation cost, it's effective utilisation depends on the collaboration of diverse stakeholders, including government agencies, waterway authorities, transport operators, cargo owners, port and terminal operators, local communities, and environmental organisations. While introducing inland water transport as a much needed alternative to conventional transport modes, the talk aims to explore perspectives of key stakeholders, highlighting their priorities, opportunities, and challenges. It explores critical issues such as infrastructure development, navigability, terminal connectivity, cargo availability, operational efficiency, regulatory frameworks, investment requirements, environmental sustainability, and community participation. By bringing together diverse viewpoints, it aims to identify practical strategies for addressing existing barriers, improving service reliability, and enhancing the competitiveness of inland water transport. In addition, the existing digital infrastructure for Inland Water Transport along with opportunities for researchers shall be discussed.

About the speaker

With a PhD in Logistics Optimisation, MBA in Operations Management and a B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering, Dr. Prayash Baruah has an overall experience of over 9 years in teaching and 4 years in Consulting and Manufacturing Industry. Presently, he is working as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Business Administration Tezpur University teaching subjects related to Operations, Supply Chain Management, Logistics and Business Analytics. His areas of interest include optimisation, logistics, data analytics and robotics. Dr. Prayash is also working in multidisciplinary projects funded by IEEE SV, IHFC IIT Delhi and Hyundai CoE.

Abstract

The abstract will be posted soon.

Abstract

Container transportation requires multiple entities to manage diverse resources under complex regulations and contracts. We present a multidisciplinary cross-functional analysis of container haulage pricing and operations in India. We discuss coordination games and optimisation opportunities in transportation networks. With completion of dedicated freight corridors, new optimisation models are expected to save one billion Indian rupees annually due to reduced haulage costs, increased rolling stock utilisation, and improved service levels.

About the speaker

Amit Upadhyay is an Associate Professor in the Department of Management Studies at IIT Roorkee. He did his MTech and PhD in Operations Research from IIT Delhi and postdoctoral research at NUS Singapore. With over 13 years of work experience, he has developed real-world optimization and analytics solutions for transportation, logistics, supply chain, and manpower planning.

Abstract

Train dispatching decides where and when trains meet and pass on shared track. It is one of the hardest real-time scheduling problems in transportation: decisions must be feasible, close to optimal and made within seconds across networks with thousands of trains. This talk starts with the meet-pass planning problem and the exact methods traditionally used to solve it. We compare disjunctive, job-shop-style mathematical formulations with time-space network flow MIP models, covering what each represents well and where each run into trouble on modeling fidelity, solution quality, and tractability. We then turn to real-time dispatch and contrast two practical approaches: simulation-based lookahead combined with optimization, and conflict-based lookahead search. Drawing on deployment experience, we show why conflict-based search scales much better on large, congested networks, and we note what it gives up. Finally, we look at how machine learning can speed up these systems further. We share our findings on applying various ML models to imitate the decisions of an expert optimization solver, where they help and what are the limitations. Throughout, we share practical lessons on combining exact optimization, heuristic search and learned policies into a dispatch system that holds up in real operations.

About the speaker

Ashwin Zade is a Sr. Operations Research Manager at Optym, working on optimization and AI-driven decision systems for railway operations. With 14+ years of experience in operations research, simulation, optimization, and machine learning, he has worked extensively on train dispatch, scheduling, maintenance planning, and resource optimization in large-scale rail networks.

Abstract

Container and dry bulk terminals are complex logistics systems in which quayside handling, internal transport, storage, and landside operations interact under significant variability. This talk presents recent developments in analytical modeling of these interconnected operations. For container terminals, the discussion covers stochastic models for integrated seaside-yard-landside operations. These models provide computationally efficient estimates of throughput, waiting times, equipment utilization, and turnaround times for alternative terminal configurations. The discussion then extends to liquid and dry bulk terminals, where unloading performance is influenced by storage availability, material-handling capacity, and downstream evacuation. Particular emphasis is placed on state-dependent handling rates and propagation of congestion in the network. The talk highlights how analytical approximations, complemented by discrete-event simulation and operational data, can support rapid evaluation of terminal design and operational decisions.

About the speaker

Debjit Roy is a Professor of Operations and Decision Sciences at the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA) and Co-Chair of the Centre for Transportation and Logistics. He is also associated with the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan as a visiting professor. His research focuses on stochastic modeling, queueing theory, simulation, and optimization, with applications in container terminal operations, automated warehousing, logistics, and service systems. His work develops analytical models to improve operational performance and support infrastructure design decisions. He has published extensively in leading international journals, including Operations Research, Transportation Science, Production and Operations Management, and IISE Transactions. He has received several research and teaching awards, including the INFORMS Innovative Applications in Analytics Award and the IIMA Outstanding Research Award. He holds a Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

Abstract

India’s land borders have long been viewed through the lens of security and regulation. Today, they are emerging as gateways for trade, connectivity, and regional development. Integrated Check Posts have already brought customs, immigration, quarantine, and security agencies together under one roof, reducing dwell time and transaction costs for cross-border trade. This talk examines how these land ports can evolve beyond transit points into border economic hubs, anchored by warehousing, logistics, cold chains, testing facilities, and allied services. It looks at the role of digital platforms such as LPMS in bringing transparency, data-driven decision-making, and single-window coordination to port operations. The talk also addresses the governance questions that determine success: inter-agency coordination, infrastructure standards, public and partnerships with Ministries of Govt of India and State governments. Drawing on practical experience from the Land Ports Authority of India, it highlights how border regions can generate local employment, support MSMEs, and strengthen India’s integration with neighbouring economies. The session closes with key lessons and a way forward for building resilient, inclusive, and future-ready border regions.

About the speaker

Madhukar Pandey is Deputy Secretary at the Land Ports Authority of India (LPAI), Ministry of Home Affairs, where he oversees administration and finance for India’s Integrated Check Posts and supports the digitisation of land border trade through Land Ports Management System. A Central Secretariat Service officer with over 24 years of experience, he has served in the Ministries of Education, Home Affairs and Housing and Urban Affairs. He contributed to the nationwide rollout of DAY-NULM and PM SVANidhi across about 4,000 urban local bodies. His expertise spans PPP infrastructure, public procurement, parliamentary affairs and inter-agency coordination. He holds an MBA (Finance), LL.B. and PGDCA, and is Guest Faculty at NIFM & other Govt training Institutions.

Abstract

This talk will highlight how advanced analytics and optimization can improve logistics and transportation operations. It presents real-world applications in long-haul optimization, last-mile delivery, vehicle routing, distribution network design, and workforce scheduling. The solutions combine mathematical optimization, metaheuristics, and AI techniques to address large-scale logistics challenges. Case studies demonstrate significant improvements in operational parameters and decision-making for parcel and distribution networks. The work emphasizes the growing role of data-driven automation and intelligent optimization in the future of logistics and supply chain management and highlights implementation related challenges.

About the speaker

Dr. Shripad Salsingikar is a Senior Scientist in Transportation Research at TCS Research, specializing in design and development of large-scale optimization and decision support systems. He has contributed to multiple research papers, patents, and IP led industry solutions. His work focuses on application of operations research techniques to automated operational decision making, especially in the area of logistics/transportation planning, railway operations and workforce scheduling.

Abstract

The abstract will be posted soon.

Abstract

The abstract will be posted soon.

Abstract

The talk will present two case studies in urban transport/logistics. The first study addresses a bus frequency-setting problem for the public bus system in Kozhikode city. An integer programming-based model and solution approach are proposed to solve the problem while balancing the operational cost and passenger service level. The second study addresses the municipal solid waste collection in Kozhikode city. The waste collection problem is formulated it as a Multi-Depot Vehicle Routing Problem. An MILP model and a heuristic-based solution approach are developed to improve the existing collection routes by reducing the number of vehicles required and the total route length.

About the speaker

Anoop K P is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at NIT Calicut. His research focuses on OR applications in Transportation, Logistics, and Supply Chain Management. He completed his PhD in Industrial Engineering and Management at NIT Calicut and has worked as a postdoctoral fellow in IEOR at IIT Bombay. He has published his research in refereed international journals and reputed conferences. He was also a visiting faculty member at Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya, Vadodara.