Kochi and Thekkady, Kerala, India
Business and Engineering Collaborations in India
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I had the opportunity to travel to India through a one-week study abroad program. The focus of the program was on family run businesses, the supply chain of tea, and manufacturing. During the week we visited a factory that produces natural rugs for IKEA, a family run automobile company, seasoning and condiment companies, and each step of the supply chain of tea. We visited the tea plantations, factories, packaging facilities, tasting facilities, tea auctions, and the grocery store to see the final product.
In addition to the engineering and business focused visits, we had the opportunity to engage in a variety of cultural visits. These visits allowed us to a have a more complete perspective of the business and engineering culture of the country.
Analysis of Supply Chains and Family Businesses
Upon our return to the United States, we were tasked with analyzing the different processes and business that we visited. As a part of this, we analyzed the two different family owned businesses we visited, Eastern Condiments Private Limited and Kuttukaran Group and Popular Vehicles. Through this, we were able to understand the structure and dynamics of family run businesses. This allowed us to gain a broader perspective and understanding that is especially important for international business relations.
We also analyzed the supply chain for the two different manufacturing processes that we learned about during the trip, the supply chain of tea and IKEA wool rugs. Our experience in viewing each step of the process to produce one bag of tea made this analysis impactful. I gained a strong understanding of the potential processes in the supply chain of a product and how they interact.
