Jaideep Prabhu

Professor of Marketing

Jawaharlal Nehru Professor of Indian Business and Enterprise

Vice-Dean for Faculty

Director of the Centre for India and Global Business (CIGB)

Fellow of Clare College

BTech (IIT Delhi), PhD (University of Southern California)

My research interests are in innovation, marketing, international business, strategy, policy and development. I particularly focus on frugal innovation in large and small firms in developed and emerging economies. I am also interested in frugal innovation in the public sector and how governments should cultivate and regulate new technologies in the economy.

I’m a member of the Marketing subject group at Cambridge Judge Business School, which focuses on strategy, modelling, and consumer behaviour.

Small teams in large and startup organisations can now innovate to solve the wicked problems of our time such as climate change and inequality.

My details

Download Jaideep's CV

Contact details

+44 (0)1223 765468

j.prabhu@jbs.cam.ac.uk

@JaideepPrabhu

Academic area

Marketing

Research interests
Professional experience
Previous appointments
Publications
Awards and honours

Research interests

Specific interests include: cross-national issues concerning the antecedents and consequences of radical innovation in high-technology contexts such as banking, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology; the role of firm culture in driving innovation in firms across nations; how multinational firms organise their innovation activities worldwide; the forces that drive R&D location decisions and the factors that influence the performance implications of these decisions; the internationalisation of firms from emerging markets; and innovation in emerging markets.

Professional experience

Jaideep Prabhu is an Associate Editor of the Journal of Marketing, Customer Needs and Solutions, and BMJ Innovations. He is on the editorial board of the Journal of Product Innovation Management, the advisory board of Journal of Management Studies and The Schmalenbach Business Review, and is a member of the senior advisory board of the European Journal of Marketing.

He has consulted with or taught executives from ABN Amro, Bertelsmann AG, BRAC, British Telecom, the UK’s Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), EDS, Egg, IBM, ING Bank, Laird, the NHS, Nokia, Oce Copiers, Philips, Roche, Shell, Vodafone and Xerox among other organisations in Colombia, Finland, Germany, Netherlands, Portugal, Switzerland, UK and US. He has been interviewed by or has had his work profiled on BBC News 24, The New York Times, MIT Sloan Management Review, BusinessWeek, US News & World Report, The Financial Times, Le Monde, The Times, The Times of India, The Economic Times, Anglia News, The Asian Age, The Deccan Chronicle, The Statesman, The Calcutta Telegraph, Exec Digital and elsewhere.

Previous appointments

Prior to his current position, Jaideep Prabhu was Professor of Marketing and Director of Research at the Tanaka Business School, Imperial College London; University Lecturer and University Senior Lecturer in Marketing, Cambridge Judge Business School (at the time the Judge Institute of Management), University of Cambridge; Assistant Professor and Fellow at the Center for Economic Research, Tilburg University, the Netherlands; and Visiting Assistant Professor at the Anderson School of Management, UCLA.

Publications

Selected publications
Journal articles
Books, monographs, reports and case studies

Selected publications

Hassan, M., Prabhu, J., Chandy, R. and Narasimhan, O. (2023) “When bulldozers loom: informal property rights and marketing practice innovation among emerging market micro-entrepreneurs.” Marketing Science, 42(1): 137-165 (DOI: 10.1287/mksc.2022.1379)
Molner, S., Prabhu, J.C. and Yadav, M.S. (2019) “Lost in a universe of markets: toward a theory of market scoping for early-stage technologies.” Journal of Marketing, 83(2): 37-61 (DOI: 10.1177/0022242918813308)
Jachimowicz, J.M., Chafika, S., Munrat, S., Prabhu, J.C. and Weber, E.U. (2017) “Community trust reduces myopic decisions of low-income individuals.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) 114(21): 5401–5406 (DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1617395114)
Banerjee, S., Prabhu, J.C. and Chandy, R.K. (2016) “Indirect learning: how emerging-market firms grow in developed markets.” Journal of Marketing, 79(1): 1-28 (DOI: 10.1509/jm.12.0328)
Barrett, M., Davidson, E., Prabhu, J. and Vargo, S. (2015) “Service innovation in the digital age: key contributions and future directions.” MIS Quarterly, 39(1): 135-154
Radjou, N., Prabhu, J. and Ahuja, S. (2012) Jugaad innovation: think frugal, be flexible, generate breakthrough growth. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Journal articles

Sharma, D., Mairal, A., Prabhu, J. and Cotton, M. (2024) “Challenges faced by frugal surgical innovations.” Tropical Doctor, 54(3): 223-226 (DOI: 10.1177/00494755241253098)
Hassan, M., Prabhu, J., Chandy, R. and Narasimhan, O. (2023) “When bulldozers loom: informal property rights and marketing practice innovation among emerging market micro-entrepreneurs.” Marketing Science, 42(1): 137-165 (DOI: 10.1287/mksc.2022.1379)
Vassallo, J.P., Banerjee, S. and Prabhu, J.C. (2023) “Biocultural innovation: innovating at the intersection of the biosphere and ethnosphere.” Journal of Product Innovation Management, 40(5): 610-629 (DOI: 10.1111/jpim.12669)
Vassallo, J.P., Banerjee, S., Zaman, H. and Prabhu, J.C. (2023) “Design thinking and public sector innovation: the divergent effects of risk-taking, cognitive empathy and emotional empathy on individual performance.” Research Policy, 52(6): 104768 (DOI: 10.1016/j.respol.2023.104768)
Agarwal, N., Chakrabarti, R., Prabhu, J. and Brem, A. (2020) “Managing dilemmas of resource mobilization through jugaad: a multi-method study of social enterprises in Indian healthcare.” Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal, 14(3): 419-443 (DOI: 10.1002/sej.1362)
Bhatti, Y., Prabhu, J. and Harris, M. (2020) “Frugal innovation for today’s and tomorrow’s crises.” Stanford Social Innovation Review, 23 June 2020
Jachimowicz, J.M., Szaszi, B., Lukas, M., Smerdon, D., Prabhu, J. and Weber, E.U. (2020) “Higher economic inequality intensifies the financial hardship of people living in poverty by fraying the community buffer.” Nature Human Behaviour, 4(Jul): 702–712 (DOI: 10.1038/s41562-020-0849-2)
Sunikka-Blank, M., Bardhan, R., Schupp, J., Prabhu, J. and Penz, F. (2020) “Films as source of everyday life and energy use: a case of Indian cinema.” Energy Research and Social Science, 69: 101655 (DOI: 10.1016/j.erss.2020.101655)
Molner, S., Prabhu, J.C. and Yadav, M.S. (2019) “Lost in a universe of markets: toward a theory of market scoping for early-stage technologies.” Journal of Marketing, 83(2): 37-61 (DOI: 10.1177/0022242918813308)
Vassallo, J.P., Prabhu, J.C., Banerjee, S. and Voola, R. (2019) “The role of hybrid organizations in scaling social innovations in bottom-of-the-pyramid markets: insights from microfinance in India.” Journal of Product Innovation Management, 36(6): 744-763 (DOI: 10.1111/jpim.12504)

Jachimowicz, J.M., Chafika, S., Munrat, S., Prabhu, J.C. and Weber, E.U. (2017) “Community trust reduces myopic decisions of low-income individuals.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) 114(21): 5401–5406 (DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1617395114)
Kor, Y.Y., Prabhu, J. and Esposito, M. (2017) “How large food retailers can help solve the food waste crisis.” Harvard Business Review, 19 December 2017
Prabhu, J. (2017) “Frugal innovation: doing more with less for more.” Philosophical Transactions A, 375(2095): 20160372 (DOI: 10.1098/rsta.2016.0372)
Prabhu, J., Tracey, P. and Hassan, M. (2017) “Marketing to the poor: an institutional model of exchange in emerging markets.” AMS Review, 7(3-4): 101–122 (DOI: 10.1007/s13162-017-0100-0)
Bocken, N.M.P., Fil, A. and Prabhu, J. (2016) “Scaling up social businesses in developing markets.” Journal of Cleaner Production, 139: 295-308 (DOI: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2016.08.045)
Banerjee, S., Prabhu, J.C. and Chandy, R.K. (2015) “Indirect learning: how emerging-market firms grow in developed markets.” Journal of Marketing, 79(1): 1-28 (DOI: 10.1509/jm.12.0328)
Barrett, M., Davidson, E., Prabhu, J. and Vargo, S. (2015) “Service innovation in the digital age: key contributions and future directions.” MIS Quarterly, 39(1): 135-154
Ernst, H., Kahle, H.N., Dubiel, A., Prabhu, J. and Subramaniam, M. (2015) “The antecedents and consequences of affordable value innovations for emerging markets.” Journal of Product Innovation Management, 32(1): 65-79 (DOI: 10.1111/jpim.12171)
Prabhu, J. and Hain, S. (2015) “Innovation and entrepreneurship in India: understanding jugaad.” Asia Pacific Journal of Management, 32(4): 843-868 (DOI: 10.1007/s10490-015-9445-9)
Chandra Balodi, K. and Prabhu, J. (2014) “Causal recipes for high performance: an exploratory comparative study of young high-technology firms from India and the UK.” International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior and Research, 20(6): 542-561 (DOI: 10.1108/IJEBR-10-2013-0168)
Kahle, H.N., Dubiel, A., Ernst, H. and Prabhu, J. (2013) “The democratizing effects of frugal innovation: implications for inclusive growth and state-building.” Journal of Indian Business Research, 5(4): 220-234 (DOI: 10.1108/JIBR-01-2013-0008)
George, G., McGahan, A.M. and Prabhu, J. (2012) “Innovation for inclusive growth: towards a theoretical framework and a research agenda.” Journal of Management Studies, 49(4): 661-683 (DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-6486.2012.01048.x)
Radjou, N. and Prabhu, J. (2012) “Mobilizing for growth in emerging markets: to reach the “next billion” consumers, multinational companies will need to move beyond value chain localization and create new networks of local partners.” MIT Sloan Management Review, 53(3): 81-88
Mukherji, P., Sorescu, A., Prabhu, J.C. and Chandy, R.K. (2011) “Behemoths at the gate: how incumbents take on acquisitive entrants (and why some do better than others).” Journal of Marketing, 75(5): 53-70 (DOI: 10.1509/jmkg.75.5.53)
Tellis, G.J., Prabhu, J.C. and Chandy, R.K. (2009) “Radical innovation across nations: the preeminence of corporate culture.” Journal of Marketing, 73(1): 3-23 (DOI: 10.1509/jmkg.73.1.3)
Rao, R.S., Chandy, R.K. and Prabhu, J.C. (2008) “The fruits of legitimacy: why some new ventures gain more from innovation than others.” Journal of Marketing, 72(4): 58-75 (DOI: 10.1509/jmkg.72.4.58)
Sorescu, A.B., Chandy, R.K. and Prabhu, J.C. (2007) “Why some acquisitions do better than others: product capital as a driver of long-term stock returns.” Journal of Marketing Research, 44(1): 57-72 (DOI: 10.1509/jmkr.44.1.57)
Yadav, M.S., Prabhu, J.C. and Chandy, R.K. (2007) “Managing the future: CEO attention and innovation outcomes.” Journal of Marketing, 71(4): 84-101 (DOI: 10.1509/jmkg.71.4.84)
Chandy, R., Hopstaken, B., Narasimhan, O. and Prabhu, J. (2006) “From invention to innovation: conversion ability in product development.” Journal of Marketing Research, 43(3): 494-508 (DOI: 10.1509/jmkr.43.3.494)
Dellaert, B.G.C., Golounov, V.Y. and Prabhu, J. (2005) “The impact of price disclosure on dynamic shopping decisions.” Marketing Letters, 16(1): 37-52 (DOI: 10.1007/s11002-005-0719-8)
Prabhu, J.C., Chandy, R.K. and Ellis, M.E. (2005) “Acquisition and innovation in high-tech firms: poison pill, placebo, or tonic?” Journal of Marketing, 69(1): 114-130 (DOI: 10.1509/jmkg.69.1.114.55514)
Chandy, R.K., Prabhu, J.C. and Antia, K.D. (2003) “What will the future bring? Dominance, technology expectations, and radical product innovation.” Journal of Marketing, 67(3): 1-19 (DOI: 10.1509/jmkg.67.3.1.18652)
Frambach, R.T., Prabhu, J. and Verhallen, T.M.M. (2003) “The influence of business strategy on new product activity: the role of market orientation.” International Journal of Research in Marketing, 20(4): 377-397 (DOI: 10.1016/j.ijresmar.2003.03.003)
Ranaweera, C. and Prabhu, J. (2003) “The influence of satisfaction, trust and switching barriers on customer retention in a continuous purchasing setting.” International Journal of Service Industry Management, 14(4): 374-395 (DOI: 10.1108/09564230310489231)
Ranaweera, C. and Prabhu, J. (2003) “On the relative importance of customer satisfaction and trust as determinants of customer retention and positive word of mouth.” Journal of Targeting, Measurement and Analysis for Marketing, 12(1): 82-90 (DOI: 10.1057/palgrave.jt.5740100)
Sorescu, A.B., Chandy, R.K. and Prabhu, J.C. (2003) “Sources and financial consequences of radical innovation: insights from pharmaceuticals.” Journal of Marketing, 67(4): 82-102 (DOI: 10.1509/jmkg.67.4.82.18687)
Prabhu, J. and Stewart, D.W. (2001) “Signaling strategies in competitive interaction: building reputations and hiding the truth.” Journal of Marketing Research, 38(1): 62-73 (DOI: 10.1509/jmkr.38.1.62.18826)
Prabhu, J. and Tellis, G.J. (2000) “Do consumers ever learn? Analysis of segment behavior in experimental markets.” Journal of Behavioral Decision Making, 13(1): 19-34
Verhallen, T.M.M., Frambach, R.T. and Prabhu, J. (1998) “Strategy based segmentation of industrial markets.” Industrial Marketing Management, 27(4): 305-314 (DOI: 10.1016/S0019-8501(97)00064-3)

Books, monographs, reports and case studies

Prabhu, J. (2021) How should a government be? The new levers of state power. London: Profile Books.
Radjou, N. and Prabhu, J. (2020) Do better with less: frugal innovation for sustainable growth. London: Penguin.
Radjou, N. and Prabhu, J. (2015) Frugal innovation: how to do more with less. London: Profile.
Radjou, N., Prabhu, J. and Ahuja, S. (2012) Jugaad innovation: think frugal, be flexible, generate breakthrough growth. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Awards and honours

Elected Fellow of the British Academy, 2023
Excellence in Global Marketing Research Award (for the 2015 paper, “Indirect learning: how emerging-market firms grow in developed markets”, co-authored by Sourindra Banerjee and Rajesh Chandy, Journal of Marketing), AMA Global Marketing SIG, 2022
Shelby Hunt/Harold Maynard Award (for the 2019 paper “Lost in a universe of markets: toward a theory of market scoping for early-stage technologies”, co-authored by Sven Molner and Manjit S. Yadav, Journal of Marketing), 2020
Finalist, JM Sheth Foundation Award (for the 2015 paper “Indirect learning: how emerging-market firms grow in developed markets,” co-authored by Sourindra Banerjee and Rajesh K. Chandy, Journal of Marketing), 2020
AMA Global Marketing SIG Excellence in Global Marketing Research Award (for the 2009 paper “Radical innovation across nations: the preeminence of corporate culture”, co-authored by Gerard J. Tellis and Rajesh K. Chandy, Journal of Marketing), 2019
Gerald E. Hills Best Paper Award (for the 2008 paper “The fruits of legitimacy: why some new ventures gain more from innovation than others”, co-authored by R.S. Rao and R.K. Chandy, Journal of Marketing), 2018
Chartered Management Institute’s (CMI) Management Book of the Year Award (for Frugal Innovation, co-authored by Navi Radjou), 2016
Finalist, Thomas P. Hustad Best Paper Award in Journal of Product Innovation Management (for the 2015 paper “The antecedents and consequences of affordable value innovations for emerging markets”, co-authored by H. Ernst, H.N. Kahle, A. Dubiel and M. Subramaniam, Journal of Product Innovation Management), 2015
Finalist, Marketing Science Institute/H. Paul Root Award (for a paper published in the Journal of Marketing that makes a significant contribution to marketing practice), 2015
Highly Commended Paper, Emerald Literati Network Awards for Excellence (for the 2013 paper “The democratizing effects of frugal innovation: implications for inclusive growth and state-building”, co-authored by H.N. Kahle, A. Dubiel and H. Ernst, Journal of Indian Business Research), 2014
Runner-up, Harold H. Maynard Award (for a paper published in the Journal of Marketing that makes a significant contribution to marketing theory and thought), 2009
IBM Faculty Award for Research on Innovation and Indian Retail, 2009
Advanced Institute of Management (AIM) Research, Innovation Fellowship, 2007-2009
AMA TechSIG Award for the Best Article on Technology or Innovation, 2008
Runner-up, AMA TechSIG Award for the Best Article on Technology or Innovation, 2007
AMA TechSIG Award for the Best Article on Technology or Innovation, 2004

News and insights

How AI is changing the way we work and how we’re governed

We should get used to the fact that our workplaces and interactions with government will change dramatically with the emergence of AI – but should we be concerned? Job losses, privacy infringements and rights erosion are growing themes in the media, but in this article we look beneath the hype and use the latest research from Cambridge Judge to explore the growing influence of AI and what the means for the future of human agency, potential and inclusion.

Insight

AI is changing innovation – here’s how

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has evolved beyond being just a tool for efficiency. It’s now a game-changer in how businesses approach innovation.

Inclusion, equality and diversity are essential to our mission, as a collegial culture can and must go hand in hand with high performance as Cambridge Judge seeks to set an example for the business world and every other corner of society.

Faculty news

What does 2025 have in store?

Cambridge Judge faculty offer their New Year’s thoughts on sustainability, enterprise, disinformation, the workplace and business education.

Media coverage

India Education Diary | 21 March 2023

Student entrepreneurs win Cambridge Zero Student Climate Challenge with innovation

Jaideep Prabhu, Professor of Marketing and Jawaharlal Nehru Professor of Indian Business and Enterprise at Cambridge Judge Business School, served as a judge in Cambridge Zero Climate Challenge for students.

Cambridge Network | 23 February 2023

Issues of safety, trust and truth tackled during tech-related events at the Cambridge Festival

Jaideep Prabhu, Professor of Marketing at Cambridge Judge Business School, is featured in this article about a series of technology-related events to be held at this year’s Cambridge Festival.

Business Weekly | 22 January 2023

Simprints commits to Cambridge Judge drive to enhance social impact

Jaideep Prabhu, Professor of Marketing, and Carlos Montes, Visiting Fellow at Cambridge Judge Business School, are featured in this article regarding a framework report for the Brokering Trust to Accelerate Innovation, published in conjunction with the Centre for India and Global Business.

“This framework is designed to broker projects between government champions and innovative companies that seek high social impact. Having a third-party broker could be the key to getting many projects off the ground given uncertainties and other issues facing both private companies and governments,” says Jaideep Prabhu.

The Hindu Business Line, 6 January 2023
Capital ideas. The perils of being a celebrity

Cambridge Network, 5 October 2022
Why affordability is not enough in attracting poorer customers

The Economic Times India, 21 July 2022
Governments need private sector strategies like an ‘outside-in’ approach to meet challenges like climate change: Jaideep Prabhu

IPS News, 13 July 2022
BRAC celebrates 50 years – A case for social development founded and led by the Global South

Reuters, 23 March 2022
Nestle to suspend ‘vast majority’ of sales in Russia

Times of India, 7 March 2022
How Indians are leading some of world’s best B-schools

Bloomberg Quint, 16 February 2022
Tata sons under Chandrasekaran – the journey so far and the road ahead

Forbes, 19 January 2022
‘The factory of the world’ could be coming to a town near you

International Investment, 18 November 2021
Groundbreaking HSBC study reveals four fifths of global Indians invest in home country

Khaleej Times, 2 September 2021
Rise and rise of Asian biz in Britain

The Times, 24 August 2021
Diversification is all the rage but isn’t it better to stick to the knitting?

The Times of India, 17 July 2021
‘India developed the pillars of a circular economy – this approach preserves nature’