Sreedevi Rajagopalan, PhD
Director, MIT Sustainable Supply Chain Lab | Research Scientist MIT Center for Transportation & Logistics
- Cambridge MA
Dr. Rajagopalan studies supply chain sustainability in large firms and AI-enabled transformation of micro firms in emerging markets.
MIT Center for Transportation & Logistics
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Biography
She is also affiliated with the Low-Income Firms Transformation (LIFT) Lab, where her research examines how AI and digital technologies can improve the productivity, resilience, and survival of small and micro firms in emerging markets. This work focuses on transforming business and supply chain practices through accessible, technology-enabled solutions.
Dr. Sreedevi brings over 15 years of combined experience in industry, academia, and research. Prior to joining MIT, she was on the faculty at the S P Jain Institute of Management and Research (SPJIMR), Mumbai, where she taught Operations Management, Procurement & Strategic Sourcing, Behavioral Operations, and Quantitative Methods.
She earned her Ph.D. in Production and Operations Management from the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore, with a dissertation focused on supply chain risk management. Her doctoral research was recognized as a finalist for the Emerging Economies Doctoral Student Award at the 27th Annual Conference of the Production and Operations Management Society (POMS) in Orlando, USA. Her broader research agenda is centered on developing more sustainable, resilient, and inclusive supply chains across both large corporations and small businesses.
Research Focus
Sustainable Supply Chains
Designing environmentally sustainable and circular supply networks.
Areas of Expertise
Education
Indian Institute of Management Bangalore
PhD
Operations & Supply Chain Management
Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi
MTech
University of Madras
BTech
Languages
- English
Media Appearances
Waiting Longer For Your Package Can Cut Carbon Emissions
TIME Magazine online
2026-04-03
The demand for ultra-fast shipping has heightened the issue. “If you have expedited shipping, then you are not actually able to consolidate [packages,]” says Dr. Sreedevi Rajagopalan, director of the MIT Sustainable Supply Chain Lab. “As a result, you end up delivering less goods in a short period. You also end up visiting the same route, maybe multiple times the same day or consecutive days. So that actually results in very high emissions.”
Fast delivery poses challenges, boosts emissions; green practices needed
India Today online
2025-12-25
"For the same demand, fast shipping definitely increases emissions 10 to 12 per cent," Sreedevi Rajagopalan, a research scientist at MIT's Centre for Transportation and Logistics, told Associated Press (AP).
Fast shipping has environmental impact as delivery becomes more polluting
PBS News online
2025-12-23
When customers choose faster shipping and earlier delivery dates, the system shifts from optimized routing to whatever gets the package out fastest, and that means higher emissions, said Sreedevi Rajagopalan, a research scientist at MIT's Center for Transportation and Logistics. For example, trucks may leave warehouses before they're full and drivers might loop the same neighborhood multiple times a day, she said.
Sustainability across supply chains still a priority for companies: MIT
ESG Dive online
2025-10-23
Companies’ continued commitment to sustainability “suggests that corporate action is being driven by forces beyond federal policy,” Sreedevi Rajagopalan, a research scientist at MIT and one of the report’s authors, told ESG Dive in an emailed statement.
Why you'll probably be paying more for produce this season
CBS News online
2023-04-08
Less produce to harvest will drive prices up in late spring and summer, and possibly for the rest of the year, Sreedevi Rajagopalan, a postdoctoral researcher studying supply chains at MIT, told CBS News.
"For the farmers, this catastrophe hit at the worst possible time," Rajagopalan said.
Research Papers
Why Scope 3 demands collaboration—not just compliance
Supply Chain Management ReviewSreedevi Rajagopalan, Tori Arnold
2026-05-02
Corporate climate credibility increasingly hinges on Scope 3 emissions, and yet individual companies have the least direct control over these emissions. Meeting ambitious Scope 3 targets requires industry level collaboration that rewires incentives, standardizes expectations, and lowers the cost of decarbonization, especially now that turbulent climate, trade, and tariff policies can abruptly change the economics of low carbon supply choices. Policy and tariff volatility does not simply increase costs; more widely, it disrupts sourcing strategies and undermines long term decarbonization pathways by constraining access to low carbon inputs.
Optimizing reverse logistics costs to encourage a more sustainable future
Supply Chain Management ReviewAna Cabrera, Gurumurthy Varsha, Sreedevi Rajagopalan
2025-12-15
Activity-Based Costing offers a smarter, fairer, and more sustainable way to manage the true cost of product returns
The effect of framing the environmental impact of fast shipping on nudging consumers to opt for slow home deliveries: Evidence from the field
MIT Center for Transportation & Logistics Research PaperJosue Velazquez Martinez, R Sreedevi, Jan C Fransoo, Karla Valenzuela-Ocana
2024-07-02
E-commerce companies such as Amazon and Walmart. com provide the convenience of same-day delivery. However, this service contributes significantly to the increase in CO2 emissions due to the challenges of consolidation (ie, combining multiple orders into single shipments). Several studies indicate that extending the time frame for home delivery can lead to significant reductions in transportation CO2 emissions.
Impact of a country’s logistical capabilities on supply chain risk
Supply Chain Management: An International JournalR Sreedevi, Haritha Saranga, Sirish Kumar Gouda
2023-01-02
This paper aims to examine the relationship between environmental factors, risk perception and decision-making in risk management. Specifically, using attribution theory, the authors study the influence of macro-level logistical capabilities of a host country on a firm’s actual and perceived supply chain risk, and examine if this country-level factor and the firm level perception of risk affect a firm’s decision-making in risk management.
Patents
Antimicrobial nanocomposite compositions, fibers and films
U.S. Patent No. 9,192,625
Issued Nov 24, 2015
Awards
POMS Emerging Economies Doctoral Student Finalist Award (EEDSA)
Issued by Production & Operations Management Society, USA
May 2016
Courses
SCM.291 Procurement Fundamentals
Introduces key strategies that elevate procurement from a transactional function to a strategic role, enabling participants to make informed decisions that drive supply chain continuity, resilience, and competitiveness. Subject focuses on innovation, particularly the application of artificial intelligence in procurement. Participants explore various use cases of AI in procurement, aiming to improve decision-making and optimize procurement strategies. Balances theoretical foundations, case-based discussions, and real-world applications; designed for individuals with limited or no procurement experience. Equips learners with the skills to manage supplier relationships effectively, adopt collaborative strategies, and leverage cutting-edge technologies to build resilient, sustainable supply chains.
SCM.290x Sustainable Supply Chain Management
SCM.290x will help you transform your organization’s climate pledges into actionable strategies through better supply chain management. Modeled on our for-credit MIT course, SCM.290x gives you a foundation to meet stakeholders’ demands for supply chain sustainability.
