NRI Pulse Staff Report
Atlanta, GA, January 31, 2020: Atlanta’s Dr. Jagdish N. Sheth is among the 16 Padma Bhushan awardees announced by the Government of India on the eve of Republic Day earlier this month.
Dr. Sheth is the Charles H. Kellstadt Professor of Business at the Goizueta Business School of Emory University and a world-renowned management Guru.
Dr Sheth is part of the NRI Pulse family through his regular column, ‘Jag’s Thoughts’.
“I am very humbled and grateful for receiving this award. I am grateful because I got free education in India, and that foundation led me to who I am today,” Dr Sheth told NRI Pulse.
He said the award was a recognition of the intangible soft power of the Indian global diaspora. “The 20 million strong Indian diaspora is a very important asset for India. We have done exceptionally well, integrated into our adopted countries and rise to the occasion when India needs us.”
“This award is not only about my research and writings; it is also about giving back to India.”
Dr Sheth also acknowledged the support of his wife Madhu and expressed his deep appreciation and love for her. “I am grateful to Madhu for standing beside me through the years,” he said.
Also known as “Jag,” Dr. Sheth has published more than 350 research papers and 30 books in various areas of marketing and management including consumer behavior, multivariate methods, competitive strategy, relationship marketing and more recently, marketing for emerging markets.
His most recent book is, ‘Genes, Climate and Consumption Culture’.
His memoir ‘The Accidental Scholar’ narrates his journey- from a refugee from Burma to an academic scholar.
Prior to coming to Emory University, Dr. Jagdish Sheth was the Robert E. Brooker Professor of Marketing at the University of Southern California and the Walter H. Stellner Distinguished Professor of Marketing at the University of Illinois. He was also on the faculty of Columbia University and MIT.
Dr. Sheth is an American Psychological Association Fellow and past President of the Association for Consumer Research (ACR). He is also a Fellow of the American Marketing Association and the Academy of Marketing Science. Among his past and present accolades, Dr. Sheth was the recipient of the Viktor Mataja Medal from the Austrian Research Society in Vienna (1977) and the 1989 Outstanding Marketing Educator Award from the Academy of Marketing Science. In 1991 and again in 1999, Dr. Sheth was also recognized as the “Marketing Educator of the Year” by Sales and Marketing Executives International (SMEI).
Padma Awards — one of the highest civilian Awards of the country, are conferred in three categories, namely, Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri. The awards are given in various disciplines/ fields of activities- art, social work, public affairs, science and engineering, trade and industry, medicine, literature and education, sports, civil service, etc.
‘Padma Vibhushan’ is awarded for exceptional and distinguished service; ‘Padma Bhushan’ for distinguished service of high order and ‘Padma Shri’ for distinguished service in any field. The awards are announced on the occasion of Republic Day every year.
These awards are conferred by the President of India at ceremonial functions which are held at Rashtrapati Bhawan usually around March/ April every year.
This year the President of India has approved conferment of 141 Padma Awards
including four duo case (in a duo case, the Award is counted as one). The list
comprises seven Padma Vibhushan, 16 Padma Bhushan and 118 Padma Shri Awards.
Thirty-four of the awardees are women and the list also includes 18 persons from the category of foreigners/NRI/PIO/OCI and 12 posthumous awardees.