Prof Jagdish Sheth
Charles H Kellstadt Professor of Marketing, Goizueta Business School (Emory University)
Founder, Sheth Leadership Academy | Duluth, Georgia, USA
Janam Bhumi:
Yangon, Burma (now Myanmar)
Dharma Bhumi:
Kutch, Gujarat, India
Karma Bhumi:
Duluth, Georgia, USA
Scholar of Behaviour, Consumer of Curiosity
The ‘Prof Sheth’ Factor: “Being driven by purpose is far more enduring than being driven by profit.”
THE MAN
There are scholars, there are visionaries, and then there is Professor Jagdish Sheth. As a teacher, a consultant strategist, a futurist, he has disrupted every status quo and written new rule books.
At 85 plus, Prof Sheth, the “accidental scholar,” is still way ahead of the disruption curve.
Born in 1938 in Yangon, Burma (now Myanmar), Prof Sheth’s childhood was engulfed by the shadows of war that uprooted the entire family and deposited them in Kutch and then Madras (now Chennai). Despite adversities, Prof Sheth flourished in academics, pursuing a course in accounting with a B. Com (Hons) degree from Loyola College.
In 1961, the US beckoned as did destiny. He tried to adjust to the culture and weather and recalls being the only foreign student in his MBA class at the University of Pittsburgh. As he continued to explore his surroundings, his old friend (curiosity) goaded him to find out what motivates people. This inner stream of consciousness turned into a PhD in Behavioural Sciences with a minor in Marketing; The numbers man was now decoding human behaviour.
THE JOURNEY
Prof Sheth’s academic prowess resounds in lecture halls at Columbia, MIT, UIUC, USC, and Emory.
In Columbia University, he collaborated with the legendary John Howard, his mentor, to give the world ‘The Howard-Sheth Theory of Buyer Behaviour’ that has become a sacred text in understanding consumer behaviour. At MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), he taught marketing to Sloan Fellows and some of the smartest undergraduates. The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign became his proving ground and turned him into a Marketing Guru. “Teaching over sixty corporations gave me a panorama of challenges that business institutions face. Those challenges became the source for a lifetime of insight.”
Then came University of Southern California (USC) where he founded the Center for Telecommunications Management in 1985. ‘Digital Disruption’ was not even a jargon yet. Once again, he had time-travelled into the future. Finally, Emory University came calling in 1991 and Prof Sheth became the Charles H. Kellstadt Professor of Marketing and transformed the marketing area into a globally recognised hub of research in relationship marketing.
Atlanta has been his and his wife Madhu’s home since then. Decades of research have made him a prolific author and co-author with over three hundred scholarly papers and over thirty books, including ‘The Rule of Three’, ‘Firms of Endearment’, ‘Self-Destructive Habits of Good Companies’, ‘Clients for Life’, ‘The 4 A’s of Marketing, and more recently, ‘India’s Road to Transformation: Why Leadership Matters’, and ‘Digital Shock: Seven Shocks That Are Shaping the Future’.
THE SPIRIT WITHIN
When you have the insider perspective on profit, you realise it is not all that it is cut out to be. For Prof Sheth, it has never been about the material spoils. He is driven by purpose, which fuels his philanthropic initiatives as well. He says, “You learn from scarcity what abundance cannot teach you.”
He uses his well-earned abundance to change outcomes for the world. The Sheth Family Foundation supports several charities in India and in the US while the Sheth Foundation support scholars in marketing. They have established the Sheth Distinguished Alumni Award and funded the Sheth Lecture on Indian Studies at Emory.
The Sheth Family Foundation also supports cultural and educational initiatives at Vibha and Sewa International, which focus on youth volunteering, community development and educational access. He is a powerful advocate of vocational education and training for transformation of nations through his research. He is currently the Chairman of the Board of governors of the Jagdish Sheth School of Management (JAGSoM), Bengaluru.
Prof Sheth has also established the Academy of Indian Marketing that promotes the discipline of marketing and helps aspiring PhD scholars in their research through mentorship. It has 45 top management institutions in India as charter members.
THE LEGACY
As Prof Sheth moved continents and states, the one constant has been his wife, Madhu. That is why when asked about his journey, he corrects us and says, “This journey is ours. Madhu has been with me every step of the way and so have my children.”
Madhu has also carved out an identity for herself as a community leader. The driving force behind the establishment of the Jain Society of Greater Atlanta, she also made history as the first female president of a Jain Center in North America.
Their daughter, Reshma, has a PhD in Marketing from the University of Pittsburgh, and serves as Professor in the Practice of Marketing at Goizueta Business School, Emory University. Rajen, their son, holds an MBA in Marketing and Finance from the University of Southern California and is the Founder and CEO of Boardwalk Development Group. Their grandchildren, now young adults, carry forward the same curiosity and compassion as their inheritance.
Prof Sheth’s record of achievements is one few can rival. In 2020, the Indian government honoured him with the highest civilian award to NRI, the Padma Bhushan for literature and education. A Fellow of the American Marketing Association, the Academy of Marketing Science and the Association of Consumer Research, he has been celebrated for his intellectual depth and practical insight. The University of Illinois awarded him an Honorary Doctorate of Science in 2016, which was followed by an Honorary Doctor of Philosophy from Shiv Nadar University in 2017.
He has received over thirty lifetime achievement awards from academic and industry bodies worldwide. But Dr Sheth is far from done.
It is difficult to define a value proposition so expansive that it breaks silos, transcends categories, and rewires the way the world thinks.
Prof Jagdish Sheth is a value proposition in himself. To borrow from the Gen Z dictionary, Prof Sheth is the G.O.A.T (Greatest of All Time) – not because he is brilliant (We know that!!), but because he has mastered the art of curiosity and learning. He’s a scholar, learner, and a renaissance man for life.
MAPPING THE INDIA WITHIN
Bharat: Then and Now
“In my youth, there was simplicity and scarcity. We lived with little but shared everything. Today, Bharat is self-confident, globally connected and technologically empowered. From kerosene lamps to smartphones, the change is breathtaking.”
Bharatiya Values that Travelled
“My values came from my father, a Gandhian who taught us integrity, honesty, and non-violence. We grew up with the belief that money should not drive life. Even in America, I stayed rooted — a vegetarian by promise to my mother, disciplined in conduct, and grateful for every opportunity. India gifted me grit; the world taught me perspective. Together, they became my compass.”
Generations Abroad: A New Bharatiya Identity
“We wanted our children to be Bharatiya as well as global citizens. Every two years, we took them to India so they could learn their mother tongue, live simply, and experience family life. Living among Americans, they learned inclusivity without losing identity. Now our grandchildren carry those same values. They are world citizens with Bharatiya hearts.”
Pride, Progress, and the Spirit Of Bharat
“The biggest change I have seen in India is self-confidence. Today, Indians walk tall. They are entrepreneurs, scientists, academics, innovators and global leaders. Abroad, too, perceptions have changed. Bharat’s spirit today is one of renewal, resilience, and global respect.”
Dreams for the Youth and Future of Bharat
“My dream for Bharat is modernisation without losing ancient wisdom. We must build the future on the foundations of our values — compassion, ethics, and learning. Science and spirituality can coexist; our scriptures prove that. I want Indian youth to be doers — to volunteer, serve their communities, and innovate with conscience.”
BACK TO THE FUTURE – IN FIVE MOMENTS
Food Cravings
THEN
We lived simply and every home-cooked meal was an act of love.
NOW
I have remained a vegetarian. I have become gluten-intolerant, so I avoid quite a lot of dishes.
Sport Spirit
THEN
We played outdoors for fun, never as competition.
NOW
I walk when I can and keep my mind active through learning.
Music Tastes
THEN
Bhajans’ and folk songs filled our home.
NOW
I still prefer quiet devotional music that centres me.
Holiday Life
THEN
Holidays meant visiting relatives, never holidays.
NOW
Travel is mostly for lectures; rest is reflection.
Leisure Habits
THEN
Reading, reading, and more reading.
NOW
Reading remains my daily joy and I love inviting people over for conversations.
AKA
Founder, India, China, and America (ICA) Institute | Global Indian Thought Leader
