Soniya Gupta-Rawal
PhD Candidate, Management Studies (Marketing) — Cambridge Judge Business School, University of Cambridge
Finding potential in percentages. Identifying narratives behind numbers for business strategy and marketing insights.
About
Soniya Gupta-Rawal is a PhD candidate in Management Studies (Marketing) at Cambridge Judge Business School, University of Cambridge, supervised by Prof. Jaideep Prabhu. She is a Commonwealth Scholar and recipient of the Tony Cowling Memorial Research Award and Judge Business School PhD Fellowship.
Her research specializing in Quantitative Marketing tackles critical marketing challenges for entrepreneurs in emerging markets — especially micro-entrepreneurs, female entrepreneurs, the informal sector, and unorganized retail. Using field experiments, AI, and economic analysis, Soniya identifies what works for micro-entrepreneurs in India and Sub-Saharan Africa.
Her thesis, Business Innovation with Marketing Strategies for Micro-entrepreneurs in Emerging Markets, draws on econometric methods, causal inference, and machine learning to develop evidence-based marketing strategies for underserved entrepreneurs.
Research Areas
Exploring critical marketing challenges at the intersection of data, strategy, and social impact.
Marketing Strategy & Innovation
Developing evidence-based marketing strategies for entrepreneurs in emerging markets, with focus on micro-entrepreneurs and the informal sector in India and Sub-Saharan Africa.
Entrepreneurship in Emerging Markets
Studying micro-entrepreneurship, female entrepreneurship, and unorganized retail — understanding what drives business growth for underserved entrepreneurs.
Econometric Modelling & Causal Inference
Applying field experiments, regression kink design, and quasi-experimental methods to measure causal impacts of marketing interventions.
Social Impact & Sustainability
Evaluating frugal innovation, digital leapfrogging for agricultural productivity, climate resilience, and sustainable business practices in developing nations.
Publications
Selected research contributions in quantitative marketing and emerging markets.
Democratizing Space: India’s Frugal Space Innovation Provides Key Lessons for Emerging Nations
Corrado, L., Gupta-Rawal, S., Kattuman, P., & Prabhu, J.
PNAS Opinion
Matching Entrepreneurs with Mentors: Customising Business Mentoring Based on Mentee & Mentor Characteristics
Gupta-Rawal, S., Khwaja, A., & Prabhu, J.
Preparing for Marketing Science
Shattering the Invisible Chains: Social Constraints and Supplier Dependency of Women Entrepreneurs in Egypt
Hassan, M., Gupta-Rawal, S., Vassello, J., & Prabhu, J.
Preparing for Journal of Marketing
Signals from Space, Decisions on Farms: Digital Leapfrogging for Agricultural Productivity, Climate Resilience & Sustainability
Gupta-Rawal, S., Corrado, L., Kattuman, P., & Prabhu, J.
Preparing for Management Science
The Frugal Space Race: Frugal Innovation and the Cost of Environmental Information in the Global Space Programmes
Corrado, L., Gupta-Rawal, S., Kattuman, P., & Prabhu, J.
Preparing for Science Policy
Dynamic AI-embedded Super App: A Design-Based Process Innovation towards Customer Engagement and Value Creation
Gupta, S., Gupta-Rawal, S., & Shrivastava, P.
Journal of Product Innovation Management, 1–26
More the Merrier!! Understanding the Effect of Available Content Choices over Willingness to Pay for Over-the-Top Subscriptions
Gupta, S., Shrivastava, P., & Gupta-Rawal, S.
Psychology & Marketing, 40(12), 2612–2626
Online-to-Offline (O2O) Commerce in Emerging Markets: Analysis of the Retail Sector
Gupta-Rawal, S. & Jeyaraj, A.
Journal of Asia-Pacific Business, 22(4), 260–278
Research Projects & Team
Active research initiatives and the team driving them forward.
Research Presentations & Seminars
Conference presentations, invited talks, and seminars.
Match Frictions and Engagement: Two-sided Matching for Digital Business Mentoring in Indonesia
ISMS Marketing Science Conference, Nova School of Business and Economics
Match Frictions and Engagement: Two-sided Matching for Digital Business Mentoring in Indonesia
EMAC Main Conference & Global Doctoral Colloquium, University of Bath
Match Frictions and Engagement: Two-sided Matching for Digital Business Mentoring in Indonesia
AMA Global Conference
Shattering the Invisible Chains: Social Constraints and Supplier Dependency of Women Entrepreneurs in Egypt
AMA Winter Conference
Signals from Space, Decisions on Farms: Digital Leapfrogging for Agricultural Productivity, Climate Resilience & Sustainability
Ivey-PhD Sustainability Academy (Best Paper Award)
Signals from Space, Decisions on Farms: Digital Leapfrogging for Agricultural Productivity
4th UK Workshop on Digital Economics, Centre for Competition Policy (CCP), Imperial London
Match Frictions and Engagement: Two-sided Matching for Digital Business Mentoring in Indonesia
SEI Research Day, Bayes Business School
Match Frictions and Engagement
Cambridge Zero Research Symposia
Capital-centric Opportunities for Skill Training of Microentrepreneurs in Emerging Markets
Commonwealth Scholarship Commission Conference 2023
The Future is Remote — Social Impact of Telemedicine Business in Emerging Markets
Cambridge Zero Research Symposia
Super App: A Design Innovation towards Customer Engagement
AMA Winter Academic Conference 2021
Store Promotion using Halo Effect Contamination in Consumer Decision Making
International Communication Management Conference, MICA (Consolation Prize, Best Paper Awards)
Collaborators
Research partners and collaborating scholars.
Research Apprenticeship Program
Join our research team at the University of Cambridge
Under the guidance of Prof. Jaideep Prabhu — Professor of Marketing, Jawaharlal Nehru Professor of Indian Business and Enterprise, and Director of the Cambridge Centre for India and Global Business at Judge Business School, and his research team led by Ms. Soniya Gupta (Commonwealth Scholar and PhD student in Marketing at the University of Cambridge), a comprehensive academic study is being conducted to explore various ways of strengthening the micro-entrepreneurial ecosystem.
As part of this initiative, we are offering Research Internship opportunities across multiple domains. Selected interns will contribute meaningfully to ongoing research activities and will report to an assigned project manager or research scholar.
Assignment Submission Timeline
Please aim to submit your assignment within 2 weeks of receiving it. If you have other commitments, feel free to submit it at your convenience within this window — there’s no need to email us about delays. For any queries or clarifications, feel free to reach out. Kindly do not email regarding submission delays.
Review Timeline
You can expect to hear back from us after 2–3 weeks of submitting both your application form and assignment. We receive thousands of applications weekly, so we appreciate your patience and understanding in the meantime.
Position Details
Position
Research Apprentice
Languages
Proficiency in English is essential.
Location
Remote (Work from Home)
Duration
4 to 6 months (Minimum 4 months’ work is mandatory for Completion Certificate)
Commitment
Minimum of 4 hours per week, with a 30-minute weekly meeting update call (Voluntary Position)
Start Date
Rolling basis
Get in Touch
Interested in collaboration, research opportunities, or academic inquiries? I'd love to hear from you.
Cambridge Judge Business School, University of Cambridge