Understand the importance of switching off and taking care of yourself

Can you tell us about your journey from obtaining a PhD at UC Berkeley to your current position at XLRI?

Looking back, it has been a long journey. I finished my PhD in 2005. Then, I spent three years at the National University of Singapore (NUS), four years at the University of Birmingham (UoB, UK), nearly seven years at IIM Ahmedabad, and now I’m at XLRI.

At NUS, my first teaching experience was in a classroom of part-time master’s degree students in statistics. They would work from 9 am to 6 pm, then attend class from 7 pm to 10 pm. Almost everyone in the class was older than me. They were amused but treated me with a lot of respect.

Singapore was a fun city with many places to eat and diverse cultures. It was a melting pot and a great place to start my career.

In 2007, a senior of mine who had left NUS for UoB’s mathematics department asked if I would be interested in a lecturer position in statistics. It was not a great career move, as NUS was probably a better place to work, but I was interested in experiencing a different culture.

Financially, it was tight. In the UK, university lecturers are not well-paid, and the country was going through a tough economic period. We all felt the squeeze. However, the job was relaxed, with not much expectation beyond classroom teaching. I travelled extensively, within the UK and abroad.

After a while, I felt the need to move on with my career as UoB did not offer much progression. I visited IIM Ahmedabad in 2010 for a research collaboration and liked the place. When an offer came in 2012, I couldn’t say no. I returned to India and haven’t left the country since!

I enjoyed my time at IIMA. The institute treats you well, and you feel compelled to give back. I probably worked harder than ever before, balancing teaching, training, and research.

However, it sometimes felt like I was neglecting my family. After my father passed away, my mother was alone in Kolkata. Jamshedpur was a convenient place to work, offering easy access to Kolkata, so I moved to XLRI in 2019.

What was it like working under Professor David Brillinger during your PhD, or any other mentor you worked with? What learnings would you like to share?

I initially worked with another professor for the first year of my PhD: Professor Charles Stone, the inventor of the CART algorithm. He was planning to retire, so I switched to Professor Brillinger, a living legend in time series analysis!

He was nearly 70 years old then but fitter than me, about a third his age. He was an endearing person but could be tough when needed. We met weekly to discuss my PhD work but talked about more important things like restaurants and books!

If there’s one thing I learned from him, it’s not to take life too seriously. He experienced tremendous tragedy — his elder son died suddenly — but he managed to compartmentalise time for family, work, and recreation.

What are the current trends and emerging topics in the operations domain that excite you the most?

I am currently working with colleagues on electric vehicle adoption models. I have become increasingly aware of environmental issues in recent years, which has influenced this direction.

I also plan to work on causal analysis — the statistical analysis of causation. It sounds simple but is notoriously difficult to analyse. I have been reading extensively in this area but still have much to learn.

Can you share a memorable teaching moment or a success story involving one of your students?

One of your seniors, Angshuman Pal, who graduated in 2021, aspired to do a PhD. Despite having a lucrative job, he was passionate about research. Last year, he joined Indiana University to pursue a PhD in optimal decision-making within operations management using Bayesian analysis and dynamic programming. It’s gratifying to see him grow in this field.

What are some of the biggest challenges you have faced in your career, and how did you overcome them?

One of the biggest challenges was the disruption caused by Covid-19. Suddenly, we were teaching online with almost no training or preparation. In 2020, teaching felt like addressing a computer screen, as students kept their videos off. It was hard to stay motivated.

By 2021, I was better prepared and asked students to keep their videos on. I’m not sure how they felt about it, but seeing each other made it more like a real class and more enjoyable. Some students later told me that being forced to keep their videos on helped them stay focused and learn better.

What advice do you have for students and aspiring leaders?

I’m not sure I’m an authority to give advice, but I can offer a suggestion. Many of you suffer from mental health issues due to the pressure cooker environment. Please understand the importance of switching off and taking care of yourself. Nothing in life is more important than that.