Prof. Rajneesh Krishna

Professor

Academic Area: Brand Management

Rajneesh Krishna has done his PhD in Humanities and Social Sciences from IIT Bombay and has an MA in Sociology from Patna University.

Rajneesh’s research focuses on creating new knowledge at the intersection of emerging technologies, society, and business. His teaching disseminates this knowledge by incorporating it in courses like Consumer Behaviour, Consumer Insight Mining, Customer Experience Design and different aspects of Brand Management.

He has earlier served in Drishti Strategic Research Services from 1995 to 2000, where he was the founding member of a marketing research startup and led over 200 research projects for clients including Mahindra & Mahindra, P&G, Asian Paints, Unilever, Bajaj Auto, BPL, Monsanto, Godrej, and IIM Ahmedabad

Later, Rajneesh joined MICA as Associate Professor from 2000 to 2014 before moving to Flame School of Communication from 2014 to 2016, where he was the Director and Dean. In 2016, he returned to MICA, where he has served in multiple capacities such as Associate Dean, Curriculum Head, Registrar, Area Head (Marketing), Area Head (Digital Communication Management), and as Specialisation Head (Marketing Research).

His key contributions during his tenure at MICA include the launch of a  15-credit specialisation in Marketing Research, Founder and Chair of MICAMINDS, a student-run research consultancy, establishing the Faculty Research Council to promote academic research, besides being involved in the development and launch of India’s first Digital Communication Management specialisation.

Rajneesh has been a Visiting Faculty at IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Calcutta, IIM Kozhikode, IIM Kashipur, SPJIMR, Goa Institute of Management, and XIM Bhubaneswar

2. Area of teaching
  • Marketing Research
  • Brand Management
3. Awards &Honours
  • Max Marketing Excellence Series – 2012 – Appreciation Award
  • 2nd AIM – AMA Sheth Foundation Doctoral Consortium – Faculty Fellow 2014
  • 5th Indian Management Conclave 2014 – Silver Winner
  • Springer Nature RISE summit 2025- Award for Valuable Contributions
  • Confederation of Indian Industry – Inspiring Women Empowering Lives – 2025
  • CEO Clubs India Ahmedabad –Keynote Address and Recognition Award
4. Research Publications

4.1.Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles

  • The Role of Augmented Reality Experiences in Consumers' Purchase Intention Toward New Products, Journal of Consumer Behaviour, 2025 (ABDC – A)
  • A study on consumer self‐discovery through augmented reality tools. Journal of Consumer Behaviour,2023 (ABDC – A)
  • Understanding the Adoption and Willingness to Pay for IoT Services, International Journal of Consumer Studies, 2021 (ABDC – A)
  • Tell Me a Story! Antecedents to Purchase of Handloom Products in India, Global Business Review, 2020 (ABDC – C)
  • Online Shopping: Motivators and Barriers, Media Asia, 2010 – (Q2 quartile by Scimago Journal)
  • Children in a Kirana Store: Building a Case for Retail Communication, Journal of Brand Management, 2003 (ABDC – A)
  • Business Ethics: The Indian Reality, Management Review, 2002 (Q1 quartile by Scimago Journal)
  • Impact of Education on Occupational Attainment, Journal of Higher Education, 1998 (Peer reviewed)
  • Occupational Mobility in an Urban Community, Demography India, 1997 (Peer reviewed)

4.2.Books & Book Chapters

  • Rajneesh Krishna (2014) 'Consumer Behaviour', Oxford University Press, New Delhi
  • Anand Sandip and Rajneesh Krishna (2009) "Rural Brand Preference Determinants in India" in Sanal Kumar, Vela Yudhan& Guda Sridhar (ed) – "Marketing to Rural Consumers: Understanding and Tapping the Rural Market Potential" Excel Books, New Delhi, 2009

 

5. Areas of Consultancy
  • Empirical research-based projects from Wagh Bakri, Asian Paints, Utsav, Claris, Hindustan Unilever and Medkart
  • Designed and delivered MDP programs for Sony, Zee TV, Godrej, Viacom18, Max Life Insurance, Cadila, BIAL, Wagh Bakri, and others