Orchi Bhattacharyya

PhD student in Supply Chain and Operations Management.

Orchi is a third-year Ph.D. student. Her research interests lie broadly in the areas of local food supply chains, sustainable supply chains, and retail operations. Orchi earned a bachelor's degree in Production Engineering from Jadavpur University (India) and an MBA from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur(India). Before starting her PhD at Carlson, she worked as a data scientist at Ford Motor Company, Chennai, India. 

She is currently working with Prof. Necati Ertekin, Prof. Mehmet Gumus, and Prof. Karen Donohue to explore retailers’ Buy-from-Local-Suppliers (BFLS) programs, a corporate social responsibility initiative in which retailers collaborate with local suppliers to offer locally sourced food products, strengthening the local economy. To ensure the authenticity of local food products, local suppliers certify their products through state government organizations and display certification logos on the packaging or on retailers’ websites. Orchi’s work examines how consumers perceive these certifications and seeks ways to enhance their effectiveness, ultimately supporting local suppliers.