Research

I am interested in exploring alternate models of production (and consumption) that are less burdensome on the environment. In this context, I find Sharing Economy to be an interesting area. Some examples of Sharing Economy firms include Zipcar (for vehicles), BlaBlaCar (for rides), and Airbnb (for spare rooms).  I study operational challenges faced by such Sharing Economy firms. I use optimization and game theoretic models in my research. 

Current Research Projects

1.  Developing operating policies for multi-fleet ridesharing

Ridesharing platforms offer a great deal of flexibility to their service providers. They can choose when, how much, and where to work from. This high degree of flexibility offered to service providers makes them an "unreliable" supply. Maintaining high service levels with an unreliable supply is a challenging problem for the platforms. While some platforms use pricing (and incentives) to overcome this problem, others supplement the fleet of crowdsourced service providers with their service providers (multi-fleet).  In this project, I examine operational issues associated with multi-fleet operations. 

1. • Working paper(s): 

     • Impact of non-discriminatory policies on multi-fleet ridesharing platforms

     • Role of network effects on multi-fleet ridesharing

   • Research related to this project was presented at  MSOM 2021, SOM2022, POM2022, IMRC 2024 conferences.

   • Publication: Non-discriminatory operating policies for ridesharing platforms with dual capacities, JORS, 2023
     
     

2.  Designing pricing mechanisms for carpooling 

Carpool is an attractive travel mode for consumers on a budget. The larger the pool size, the higher the savings. Consumers opt for large-size pools only when savings are substantial. Thus, pricing is critical in generating demand for large-size pools and increasing platforms' revenues.  As a part of this project, I am exploring various pricing mechanisms that encourage the formation of large pools. These mechanisms factor in cost savings and the inconvenience experienced by co-travellers in a shared ride.

2. • Working paper(s) : Balancing stability and fairness in ridesharing

   • Research related to this project was presented at the INFORMS TSL Workshop 2021 and MSOM 2018  conferences.

   • Publication: A pricing mechanism to improve capacity utilisation in ridesharing  (with Rajeev Tripathi), JORS, 2021

3.  Rental operations of Electric Vehicles

Rental platforms play a crucial role in promoting the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs). They help consumers offset the high upfront costs associated with purchasing an EV, making it a more affordable option. Additionally, value-added services (VAS) offered by these platforms, such as 24/7 assistance, enhance their appeal as a channel for OEMs to reach consumers. While some OEMs prefer to use rental platforms, others, like Tesla, choose to rent directly to consumers. This variation in the approaches taken by OEMs raises intriguing research questions. Through this study, we explore the factors influencing OEMs' channel selection - whether to rent directly or utilize rental platforms to reach consumers.

3. • Working paper(s): Influence of value-added services on channel choice of EV manufacturers (with Sanchari Niyogi, Arqum Mateen)

   • Research related to this project was presented at the 2023 POMS India, 2024 POMS Turkey, EURO 2025 (accepted) conferences.

Teaching

• Optimization Models (PGP 2022, PGP 2023, PGP 2024)

• Operations Management (EPGP 2022, EPGP 2023, EPGP 2024)

Other Interests

Apart from research work, I find great joy in practicing yoga, playing badminton, and visiting eateries (Yes, I am a foodie!). I like Carnatic fusion music. I am a big fan of old Kannada movies.