INDIA: The Brij Disa Centre for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (CDSA) at the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA), in collaboration with the Operational Research Society of India (ORSI), Ahmedabad Chapter, has announced the finalists for the 2025–26 Excellence in Management Science and Analytics Practice Award.
Modeled on the globally recognized Franz Edelman Award of INFORMS (USA), this annual competition is the only one of its kind in India. It honors organizations that have demonstrated significant impact through innovative applications of operations research, management science, and analytics – driving measurable improvements in financial, operational, or societal outcomes.
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A Unique Academia–Industry Partnership
The Excellence in Practice Award represents an ongoing collaboration between CDSA–IIMA and ORSI Ahmedabad Chapter. The initiative aims to bridge the gap between academic research and industry practice by spotlighting projects that leverage data-driven methodologies for real-world problem-solving.
Together, the two institutions have institutionalized the award as an annual platform to celebrate applied excellence, reinforcing India’s growing capabilities in analytics, artificial intelligence, and operations research.
The 2025–26 Award Cycle
For the 2025–26 edition, the competition received 19 entries from across India. Following a rigorous multi-stage evaluation, 10 semi-finalists were shortlisted, and six have now advanced to the final round. Each finalist will present their project at IIM Ahmedabad in January 2026, detailing how analytics informed decision-making and delivered impact within their organizations.
Finalists – 2025–26
- Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Government of India
Project: Supply Chain Optimization for Food Security in India - Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd. (BPCL)
Project: BASA – A Predictive Delivery System Transforming LPG Access and Reducing Health-Damaging Fuel Use - Container Corporation of India (CONCOR)
Project: Prescriptive Analytics for Efficient Planning of Container Trains on Dedicated Freight Corridors - Thermo Fisher (India)
Project: Intelligent Cartonization at Scale – Clustering-Aided MILP Framework for Sustainable Packaging Optimization - National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC)
Project: NIRIKSH AI – Leveraging Large Language Models for Physical Sanitization of MRO Inventory - Jindal South-West (JSW)
Project: Development of Hot Metal Silicon Prediction Model in Mini Blast Furnace
Leadership Perspectives
Prof. Ankur Sinha, Co-Chairperson, CDSA–IIMA, emphasized the award’s broader purpose: “The award underscores the importance of bridging the gap between academic research and industry practice. By honoring exemplary projects, the award encourages innovation, promotes collaboration, and highlights the transformative power of data-driven methodologies in real-world projects.”
Dr. Sanjay Kumar Prasad, IBM Distinguished Engineer and Chair of the Prize Committee, highlighted the role of analytics in organizational transformation: “In today’s dynamic landscape, analytics has emerged as a cornerstone for driving innovation, decision-making, and measurable impact across industries. This award not only recognizes excellence in analytics but also underscores the importance of collaboration, creativity, and strategic thinking in transforming insights into action.”
Prof. Goutam Dutta, Retired and Visiting Professor at IIMA and General Chair of the Prize Competition, reflected on the domestic significance of the initiative: “As India’s economy continues to grow, the demand for efficient systems and processes has never been greater. This competition focuses exclusively on domestic applications, highlighting success stories where management science and analytics have delivered tangible benefits from tens to hundreds of crores and informed major policy changes across public, private, and government sectors.”
The Brij Disa Centre for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (CDSA) at IIM Ahmedabad fosters research, innovation, and capacity building in data science, artificial intelligence, and analytics. Through partnerships with industry and policymakers, it seeks to advance evidence-based solutions to complex business and societal challenges.
The Operational Research Society of India (ORSI), founded in 1957, is the country’s premier professional association for operations research and management science. The Ahmedabad Chapter has been instrumental in promoting practice-oriented research and facilitating stronger ties between academia and industry.
The final presentations and award ceremony are scheduled for January 2026 at the IIM Ahmedabad campus, where the winning project will be announced and recognized for exemplary contribution to the practice of management science and analytics in India.
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