“A positive statement propels hope toward a better future, it builds up your faith and that of others, and it promotes change.”- Jan Dargatz
Dedication
This biography is lovingly dedicated to my daughter, Vidya Viswanathan, and my son, Vinay Viswanathan—the two lights of my life, who have given deeper meaning to everything I have done, and everything I continue to strive for.
Vidya, your choice to become a teacher fills me with indescribable pride. In you, I see a reflection of my own journey—a quiet but powerful commitment to shaping minds and nurturing futures. Your empathy, your discipline, and your love for learning are gifts not only to your students, but to everyone lucky enough to know you. Watching you embrace the noble path of education has been one of the most fulfilling experiences of my life. You carry forward a legacy not with fanfare, but with grace, humility, and strength.
Vinay, your journey has taken you across borders, yet your heart has always stayed close to home. Your work with the Canadian Railways may be in a faraway land, but your dedication, integrity, and perseverance speak a language I understand deeply. You’ve made your own mark in the world—steady, strong, and sure. Every accomplishment of yours reminds me that values travel across generations and oceans. You are a testament to resilience and the reward of quiet determination.
To both of you, thank you for giving my life its deepest joy and for being my strongest motivation through every phase. You have listened when I taught, encouraged when I hesitated, and celebrated when I succeeded. You have stood by me with patience during long work hours, shifting careers, and late night lectures. And more than anything, you’ve understood that my journey was never just about professional milestones, but about living with purpose.
Whatever I have built, whether in boardrooms or classrooms—is a foundation that I hope will inspire you to keep dreaming, keep learning, and keep contributing. If this story carries any wisdom, let it be this: never underestimate the impact of consistent effort and a heart full of intent.
This journey, in all its phases, is for you both.
Dr. Pallikkara Viswanathan
PHASE 1: The Humble Beginnings of a Curious Mind
“When you’re at the end of your rope, tie a knot and hold on.” - Theodore Roosevelt
I was born on April 18, 1950, into a modest yet nurturing family. My father worked in a company, a diligent man who taught me the value of discipline, while my mother, a homemaker, anchored the warmth and moral compass of our household. Life in those days was simple, but it was rich with values, conversations, and the constant presence of family. Looking back, I believe the foundation of who I became was laid right there in the quiet moments of observation, in the shared meals, and in the reverence for hard work and learning.
As a child, I was always curious. I questioned everything—why things functioned the way they did, how people managed work, and what went into the smooth running of households, businesses, and communities. These questions would one day shape my professional direction, though I had little idea then.
Education became my gateway to the world beyond. I pursued my Master’s degree in Commerce from Sri Venkateswara University, completing it in 1980. Commerce fascinated me not just as a subject, but as a lens through which I understood the workings of our society. I realized how every action, every exchange, had layers of planning, logistics, and strategy behind it. This realization led me to deepen my qualifications. I pursued an LL.B. from Bangalore University in 1989, a Postgraduate Diploma in Business Management from Annamalai University the same year, and a Graduate Diploma in Materials Management from the Indian Institute of Materials Management (IIMM), also in 1989. That course, recognized by the Government of India and IFPM Geneva, opened my eyes to the vast, often overlooked field of materials and supply chain management.
But my hunger to learn didn’t stop. In 1999, I completed a Diploma in Import-Export Management from the National Council for Labour Management. Each qualification wasn’t just a certificate, it was a layer of understanding added to my perspective on how things move, how systems interact, and how value is created across borders and organizations.
On the personal front, I was blessed with a wonderful partner, my wife, who worked at a bank. She brought stability, insight, and balance to my life. Her unwavering support allowed me to fully immerse myself in both my career and my academic pursuits. Together, we built a loving home and were blessed with two children. Our daughter, the elder, followed the noble path of teaching, a profession that brings me great pride. Our son, the younger one, ventured into the global world and now works with the Canadian Railways, proving that the spirit of logistics and systems thinking perhaps runs in the blood.
My professional life began modestly. From my earliest job as a typist at Usha Martin Black and a stores clerk at Udani Engineering, I understood the value of ground-level work. Those initial days checking ledgers, managing accounts, verifying civil measurements taught me discipline and attention to detail. They also helped me connect the theoretical aspects of my education with the practical world.
Every role I took on after that became a stepping stone. Whether it was stores planning, materials procurement, inventory control, or logistics coordination, I absorbed everything I could. I saw how crucial behind-the-scenes operations were to the success of any business. I also noticed something curious: despite its importance, supply chain management remained underappreciated in most institutions and industries. This stayed with me.
I spent many years in the public and private sectors, including a long tenure at Kudremukh Iron & Steel Company (a Government of India undertaking), where I retired as Deputy Manager (Stores). Over the years, my responsibilities have expanded to include procurement, logistics, transportation, e-commerce, central exercise, personnel management, and ISO compliance. These roles broadened my understanding of organizational dynamics but also reinforced a belief I had carried for long—that the supply chain was the silent lifeline of every operation. As I approached retirement, I knew I couldn’t just stop working. My passion for learning and sharing knowledge was too strong. So, I pivoted, and I chose to teach.
PHASE 2: From Steel to Strategy
“A dream is the bearer of a new possibility, the enlarged horizon, the great hope.” - Howard Thurman
And when I considered my professional path so far, to me it looks like a dedicated, sustained climb right through the core body of Indian industry. It was not a direct road but a road full of twists and turns, roles, and responsibilities. Each job I got taught me something not necessarily about the industry I found myself in at the time, but about people, processes, and most of all, the art of how things move.
Upon my first role in Udani Engineering and Usha Martin Black as a stores clerk and a typist, respectively, I moved to Bengal Electric Lamp Works Ltd. There is where I started to deal with stores, purchasing, and administrative issues. These were tasks that meant more than duties; they were lessons in organization and accountability. However, to me, it was still limited, even then. I wanted to deal with bigger systems, more complex operations.
That chance presented itself when I started to work with AEG-NGEF Ltd. in 1977. It was a transformative experience. I worked there in two periods: the first period, from 1977 till 1984, and the second, from 1984 to 1990. I worked as a senior assistant in contracts and projects, and the horizon of my work widened seriously. I was dealing with stores and purchase functions, materials planning, logistics, and the legal aspect of contracts as well. I kept on visiting sites, reaching suppliers, negotiating deals, and seeing to the timely execution. It was no longer a question of managing materials; it was now all about maneuvering materials. It was about understanding how every bit of the business is related. The assignments I took were not mere technicalities but operational conundrums that required vision, the art of negotiation, and a sound logic for logistics. I was hooked.
In 1990, I moved on to Eureka Forbes Ltd., a Tata Group. It was here that I paid attention to the national-level operations. I oversaw warehousing and logistics systems in India, which required dealership appointments, coordinating sales and services, managing spares, and distributing retail. We developed depots, building supply systems, and even designing schemes of incentives for staff and franchisees. In numerous ways, I started implementing the formal systems of supply chains in the company. It was probably one of my proudest moments then. Eureka Forbes was the place where I started to see myself as a manager not only in relation to logistics but also as a strategist.
However, I travelled off the Indian shores in 1994 and worked with the Al-Hassan group in Oman. I became familiar with the international logistics systems, being a material and inventory controller. I managed the operations in a showroom, including purchasing, planning, training in manpower, and transportation. The obstacles differed—geography, language, cultural niceties—but the basics were the same. It provided me with a global concept, illustrating ways in which supply chain principles could be adjusted to suit different environments.
Upon my return to India, I was in managerial roles at Goodwill Technologies and Farida Shoes. In Farida, a 100% export-oriented unit, I dealt with the sourcing activities of both domestic and international vendors. I was engaged in computerizing store records and packaging systems. Once more, it was all about streamlining, making operations efficient and apparent. I wasn’t just managing flow; I was shaping it.
However, the most momentous phase of my corporate life took place at Kudremukh Iron & Steel Co. Ltd., a government of India undertaking. From 1998 to 2010, I held the position of Deputy Manager (Stores). My area of operation ranged from procurement, logistics, excise, insurance, and transportation to even personnel management. I was trained in ISO 9000/14000 standards, e-commerce, e-auctions, and e-procurement. I was a team leader, implemented computerized systems, and developed management information systems. This was not just a job but the coming together of everything that I had learned over the decades.
And in these years, I learned to truly value the essence of supply chain management, its silent life-bringer behind each success of every business. I witnessed the movement of materials, how time lags strangled production, and how strategic sourcing saved costs. I observed that even such big organizations were lacking structured understanding of supply chains. It puzzled me. This was a discipline that had clear implications for efficiency, profitability, and customer satisfaction and yet, it was underrated, under-researched, and undertaught.
That recognition not only planted the seed for what will become the next important cycle of my life, namely education. I knew that I could not have this knowledge retire with me. I had to hand it down. And therefore, even though I had to say goodbye to the corporate life, I went to the classroom, no longer as a student this time, but as a teacher. It was time to pay it back what I got and, maybe, help others to see what I could see from the very beginning—that supply chain is not part of the business; it is the business.
PHASE 3: Chalk, Clicks, and Change: Life as a Teacher
“Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness.” - Desmond Tutu
Retirement is often seen as the end of a professional journey. For me, it was quite the opposite, it marked the beginning of something more purposeful, more personal. I had spent over three decades immersed in the industrial world shaping supply chains, navigating contracts, and optimizing systems. But there was one thing that had always tugged at my conscience: despite its critical importance, supply chain management was nowhere near as recognized as it should be. And so, as I stepped away from the corporate world, I stepped right into academia with a mission.
My first formal foray into teaching began with part-time roles across several institutions. I wasn’t seeking full-time employment anymore; what I wanted was impact. I joined St. Hopkins College of Management as a faculty member and administrator, teaching MBA, BBA, and BCom students. Finance, economics, and accounts were my primary subjects. These were young minds—bright, curious, full of questions—and I found that they responded with genuine interest when I introduced real-world industrial examples into the curriculum. I wasn’t teaching from a textbook, rather from lived experience.
Around the same time, I also took on roles at the Indian Retail School and DBA Group of Institutions. Here, I began teaching logistics, retail, and supply chain management more formally. This was the beginning of what I saw as a larger educational gap. While students were learning marketing, finance, and HR with enthusiasm, supply chain management was often treated as a side topic or an elective. I knew firsthand how vital this function was in any business—from procurement to production to delivery.
I joined IBMR Group of Institutions in Bangalore as a part-time faculty member, teaching legal subjects and economics to MBA students. Production management, sales logistics, and organization management were other areas I explored through online and e-learning platforms. My approach remained the same: connect theory with practice to give students the “why”, not just the “what”. And above all, teach them to think systemically.
My work expanded to Windsor Institute of Management, the Institute of Logistics and Supply Chain Management, and even the Clinical Research Department at ICRI, where I taught MBA students in hospital management, marketing, and finance. The diversity of students and institutions was remarkable. At every step, I kept encountering the same pattern—supply chain knowledge was patchy, underappreciated, and sometimes completely missing.
So, I dug deeper. I started designing courses, setting question papers, and even preparing teaching material for affiliated universities like PRIST, Jain, and Reva. I wanted students to leave the classroom not just informed but transformed.
One of my most fulfilling teaching relationships has been with the Indian Institute of Materials Management (IIMM), Bangalore Branch. As a member since 1978, I had always believed in their mission. But now, I was contributing not just as a professional, but as an educator. I taught MBA students, GDMM, and diploma candidates. I also conducted exam invigilation, organized workshops, and delivered guest lectures. At IIMM, I wasn’t just a teacher—I was a mentor and a voice advocating for the value of supply chain education in India.
Over the years, I taught at the NMIS School of Management, where I handled World Economics for B.Sc. (Economics) students. I even contributed to one-day MBA programs like the one hosted by MYRS School of Management in Mysore. The topics may have varied, but the core message was always the same—to understand the flow of value in a system, and you understand how the world works.
Then came the COVID-19 pandemic, a time of great uncertainty, disruption, and adaptation. But for me, it was also a time of resilience. When institutions shut their doors and classrooms went dark, I moved my teaching online. I took Zoom classes, shared presentations, and conducted sessions with students across cities and even countries. It was challenging at first, but it reminded me that education must never stop, especially in times of crisis. Supply chains, after all, became a household topic during the pandemic. Everyone suddenly understood their importance when groceries were delayed, vaccines were stuck in transit, and factories ground to a halt. I used this real-world scenario to show students the invisible threads that hold our world together.
By now, I have contributed over 100 articles to seminars, journals, research books, and publications, each one an effort to broaden the reach of material and logistics management. I didn’t just want to teach; I wanted to elevate the subject. I wanted policymakers, educators, and students alike to see that supply chain management is not an option. It is a necessity. This phase of my life has been deeply fulfilling. My career may have started in warehouses and corporate offices, but it found its true meaning in the lecture hall.