Team Learning
Product Management
Design Thinking
Entrepreneurship and Venturing
Digital Ecosystems and Platforms
Innovation at the base of the pyramid
Dean, SPJIMR
Varun Nagaraj is Dean and Professor of Information Management & Analytics at S. P. Jain Institute of Management & Research (SPJIMR), Mumbai. He holds a Ph.D. in Management: Designing Sustainable Systems from Case Western Reserve University’s Weatherhead School of Management.
He also holds an MBA from Boston University, an MS in Computer Engineering from North Carolina State University, and a BTech in Electrical Engineering from IIT, Bombay. His career spanning over three decades in digital products reflects his passion for product management, development, and innovation.
He has held senior leadership roles including C-level responsibilities for venture-funded start-ups as well as public companies in the US. His research interests encompass the impacts of digital innovation on teams, organisations, and society at large. Specific interest areas include Team Learning, Product Management, Design Thinking, Entrepreneurship and Venturing, and Digital Ecosystems and Platforms.
His research contributions have been presented in prominent journals, renowned international conferences, and popular periodicals. He has previously taught at the University of Notre Dame, Pepperdine University, and Boston University.
Ph.D., 2019
Focus: Design and Innovation
MBA, 1995
Major: Finance and Strategy
MS, 1988
Major: Computer Engineering
BTech, 1986
Major: Electrical Engineering
Team Learning
Product Management
Design Thinking
Entrepreneurship and Venturing
Digital Ecosystems and Platforms
Innovation at the base of the pyramid
Recker, J., von Briel, F., Yoo, Y., Nagaraj, V., & McManus, M. (2023). Orchestrating Human-Machine Designer Ensembles during Product Innovation. California Management Review, 65(3), 27–47. https://doi.org/10.1177/00081256231170028
Nagaraj, V. (2022). How Product Managers Use Senseshaping to Drive the Front-end of Digital Product Innovation, Research-Technology Management, 65:2, 29-40. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/08956308.2022.2014718.
Nagaraj, V., Berente, N., Lyytinen, K., Gaskin, J. (2020). Team design thinking, product innovativeness, and the moderating role of problem unfamiliarity. Journal of Product Innovation Management, 37(4), 273–372. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jpim.12528
Nagaraj, V. (2022). Chapter 8: Digital Product-Assisted-Learning: Transforming the entrepreneurial learning process with digital product analytics. Handbook of Digital Entrepreneurship, 161 – 179. Edward Elgar Publishing. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781800373631.00016
Nagaraj, V., Joglekar, N. (2017). Digital Product Management Thinking: Integrating Analytics, Business Models, Coordination and Design Thinking (pp. 155 pages). Senseshaping Ventures LLC. https://www.amazon.in/Digital-Product-Management-Thinking-Coordination-ebook/dp/B0741RQM7R
Dwivedi, V., Arora, S., Nagaraj, V., Krishna, M., “Dynamics of building trust in informal institutions: A phenomenology study of hyperlocal media at the farmers’ protest in India”, India Strategy Conference 2023, IIM Bangalore (December 2023)
Nagaraj, V. (Author & Presenter), 82nd Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management Symposium, “A Swarm of Scholars: Adopting & Improving on the Swarm
Method of Collaborative Qualitative Research”. Academy of Management. (August 5, 2022)
Nagaraj, V. (Keynote Presenter), Utility Analytics Summit, “Data-Driven Analytics: How Netflix Enhances Decision Making and Applications for Utilities”, Utility Analytics Institute. (June 4, 2020). Data-Driven Analytics: How Netflix Enhances Decision Making and Applications for Utilities.
Nagaraj, V. (Presenter), Product Collective, “Software Tools for the Product Manager”. The Product Conference. (January 1, 2019). Know more
Nagaraj, V. (Presenter), Product Collective, “Implementing Design Thinking”. The Product Conference. (January 1, 2018). Know more
Nagaraj, V. (Presenter), AOM Annual Conference 2018, “How does design thinking impact the market success of digital products?”Academy of Management (August 1, 2018)
Nagaraj, V. (Presenter), Measurement Control and Automation Association Annual Conference, “Enabling Innovation – Improving your Organization’s Innovativeness through ‘Design Thinking’ Practices,” The Measurement, Control & Automation Association: MCAA, United States. (April 24, 2017).
Nagaraj, V. (Presenter), Berente, N., Gaskin, J., Lyytinen, K., AOM Annual Conference 2018, “How does design thinking impact the market success of digital products?” Academy of Management, Chicago. (August 2018). https://journals.aom.org/doi/abs/10.5465/AMBPP.2018.15737abstract
Nagaraj, V. (Presenter), Boland, R. J., Lyytinen, K., AOM Annual Conference 2017, “Senseshaping: The dynamics of sensemaking and sensegiving in high velocity product innovation,” Academy of Management, Atlanta. (August 2017). https://journals.aom.org/doi/abs/10.5465/ambpp.2017.13314abstract
Nagaraj, V. (2019). Emphasize Customer Success Metrics to Accelerate Revenue Growth. Gartner Group. https://www.gartner.com/en/documents/3953741
Nagaraj, V. (2019). Use In-Application Feedback to Continuously Improve Product-Market Fit. Gartner Group. https://www.gartner.com/en/documents/3947284
Nagaraj, V. (2019). Reignite Growth through Targeted Investments in Software Tools for Product Management. Gartner Group. https://www.gartner.com/en/documents/3923902
Nagaraj, V. (2019). Drive Product Growth by Emphasizing Packaging and Go-To-Market. Gartner Group. https://www.gartner.com/en/documents/3913386
Nagaraj, V. (2019). Use Three Design Thinking Principles in Everyday Product Management to Drive Innovation. Gartner Group.
https://www.gartner.com/en/documents/3912996
Nagaraj, V. (2025). Sustainability and ethical leadership: Preparing future CEOs. The Economic Times.
Nagaraj, V., (2024). Wise innovation: A confluence of ambition, empathy and creativity. Open.
Nagaraj, V., (2024). What does innovation entail. BusinessWorld.
Nagaraj, V., (2024). Need for embracing ‘wise innovation’. Forbes India.
Nagaraj, V. (2023). From patient capital to agile innovation: The balancing act for family businesses in India. Forbes India.
Jayakumar, T., Nagaraj, V. (2022). Let us raise a toast to family entrepreneurship in India. Mint.
Nagaraj, V. (2022). Five courses that should be launched or revamped by B-schools in the post-pandemic world. Business World (BW Education).
Nagaraj, V. (2021). Towards borderless and blended learning. India Today.
Nagaraj, V., Frey, J. (2021). The ethical edge of persuasion – Where is the line between persuasion, manipulation, and coercion? Psychology Today.
Nagaraj, V., Frey, J. (2021).Ethical manipulation in leadership – The ethical spectrum of compelling leadership. Psychology Today.
Nagaraj, V., Frey, J. (2021). Ethical influence – The ethical spectrum of compelling leadership. Psychology Today.
Nagaraj, V., Frey, J. (2021). Where leadership persuasion tips into manipulation – The ethical spectrum of compelling leadership. Psychology Today.
Wise Innovation Foundations
Digital Product Management
Product Entrepreneurship Lab
Product Innovation
Digital Entrepreneurship
Digital Transformation
Systems Thinking
Technology, Business, and Society
Dean & Professor Information Management
Adjunct Faculty
Adjunct Faculty
Chief Operating Officer (COO)
Adjunct Faculty
Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
GM IoT
Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
VP, Product Management and Marketing
EVP, Marketing
Partner
Principal
Manager
Associate
Product Manager
Engineer
Pidilite, 2021-2022
Advisor to Shoreline AI
Associate Editor, Academy of Management (AOM) Annual Conference 2023, 2024-CTO Track, Appointed. (January 2023 – Present)
Academy of Management Proceedings (2017 – 2018)
Guest Speaker, Pepperdine University. (2020).
Guest Speaker, Case Western Reserve University. (2019 – 2020).
Guest Speaker, Stanford University. (2019).
Guest Speaker, California State University, Sacramento. (2018).
Guest Speaker, NC State University. (2010 – 2018).
Guest Speaker, University of Georgia. (2016).
Academy of Management (AOM)
Product Development Management Association (PDMA)