Inside ISB’s Classroom: A Simulation on Sustainable Supply Chains

Why It Matters

It equips tomorrow’s leaders with hands‑on ESG decision‑making skills, essential as sustainability moves from optional add‑on to core business driver.

Key Takeaways

• Simulation forces students to balance profit, people, and planet.
• First round mistakes teach value of sustainable choices for financial gains.
• Decisions impact all three ESG metrics simultaneously, highlighting interdependence.
• Boardroom integration of sustainability deemed essential for future managers.
• Hands‑on experience mirrors real‑world CXO decision‑making pressures.

Summary

The Indian School of Business launched its inaugural complex operations‑management simulation centered on sustainable supply chains, challenging participants to manage the triple bottom line of people, profit, and planet. Faculty member Anjal Prakash designed the exercise to mimic real‑life managerial dilemmas where sustainability and profitability must coexist.

Students quickly discovered that early missteps—prioritizing cost over green options—hurt both ESG scores and financial outcomes. In subsequent rounds, they shifted toward sustainable practices, finding that environmental improvements often translated into better profit metrics, underscoring the hidden synergy between the two.

Key observations emerged: every decision rippled across emissions, waste, and revenue targets, illustrating the interdependence of ESG factors. Participants reported feeling like CXOs, with each click influencing a composite score that mirrored real‑world financial and reputational stakes. Faculty emphasized that sustainability should sit at the boardroom table, not merely under a chief sustainability officer.

The simulation equips future managers with practical experience in integrating ESG considerations into core strategy, a skill set increasingly demanded by investors, regulators, and consumers. By embedding this mindset early, ISB prepares graduates to drive cost‑effective, responsible growth in a market where sustainable products are becoming the norm.

Original Description

What does it take to balance profitability, sustainability, and operational performance in today’s world?

The Indian School of Business (ISB) introduces its first complex Operations Management simulation on Sustainable Supply Chains, developed by the Centre for Learning and Teaching Excellence in collaboration with Professor Anjal Prakash and Professor Sripad Devalkar.

In this immersive experience, students step into the role of supply chain managers, making high-stakes decisions that impact the triple bottom line—people, planet, and profit. From sourcing choices to logistics trade-offs, they navigate real-world challenges under tight constraints.

As Professor Anjal Prakash explains, the simulation places students in realistic scenarios where maintaining sustainability while ensuring profitability becomes a delicate balance.

Watch how ISB students learn to make decisions where every choice has consequences.