Vikash Kumar
PhD Candidate, Operations Management
Ivey Business School · Western University
I am a PhD Candidate in Operations Management at the Ivey Business School, Western University, advised by Gal Raz and Deishin Lee. My research sits at the intersection of operations and public policy, with a focus on the green transition: how policy instruments shape firm behaviour, environmental outcomes, and consumer welfare in electric vehicle markets, battery recycling, and public food distribution.
Before the PhD, I spent seven years at the Steel Authority of India Ltd. (SAIL), managing $2.5M EPC projects and leading digital transformation initiatives. I hold an MBA from IE Business School (top 10%, Beta Gamma Sigma) and a B.Tech from IIT (BHU) Varanasi.
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Working Papers
We study how Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) mandates shape battery manufacturers' choices between recycling and second-life repurposing. We show that under certain conditions, well-intentioned EPR policies can produce worse environmental outcomes than no policy at all, with implications for circular-economy regulation design.
Range anxiety and sparse charging infrastructure remain the two largest barriers to EV adoption. We develop a model of consumer choice between range and charging access and complement it with a behavioral experiment, with implications for product design and infrastructure policy.
We compare product-based (flat per-vehicle) and attribute-based (range-linked) EV subsidies and show that while attribute-based designs accelerate adoption, uncapped versions can erode welfare and environmental outcomes. We characterise conditions under which a cap on the range-linked subsidy is welfare-improving.
India's Food Corporation moves grain to 800 million beneficiaries on a diesel fleet now targeted for electrification. We model the three-tier Public Distribution System and compare carbon-credit incentives against binding electrification mandates, asking when fleet decarbonisation improves — and when it erodes — food security in developing economies.
Works in Progress
A laboratory experiment investigating how consumers trade off vehicle range, price, and charging access — with implications for incentive design and EV product strategy.
Curriculum Vitae
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Contact
I welcome conversations about sustainable operations, policy design, and the green transition.
The best way to reach me is by email.