Deepti is a dedicated sustainability researcher currently pursuing her Ph.D. at Nottingham Trent University in the UK. Her research, focusing on transforming consumer goods markets through sustainable practices, is driven by a passionate commitment to building a more sustainable world.
Currently, Deepti is also actively involved with the Office of Dean of Academics at Shiv Nadar University where she delivers courses on fashion, consumption, sustainability, transformational leadership and Global Goals. Critical thinking and academic reflective writing are key inclusions in all her courses. She is also responsible for designing and delivering a university-wide sustainability ambassador program and promoting a collaborative writing environment.
Before her academic journey, Deepti made a tangible impact in the field of sustainability as a consultant with The Energy and Resource Institute (TERI) in New Delhi. Her MBA project in Business Sustainability that led to Cargill’s CSR policy, along with diverse roles at prominent organisations like Encyclopaedia Britannica, Google and Midas Touch Investors Association, a project of the Ministry of Company Affairs, demonstrates her well-rounded expertise and commitment to driving positive change towards a sustainable future.
Ph.D., Product Design, Nottingham Trent University, 2017 – submitted, awaiting viva
Dissertation title: Quality as Sustainability: Transforming Consumer Goods Markets
M.B.A., Business Sustainability, TERI School of Advanced Studies, 2015
M.Sc., Physics Hons., Panjab University, 2004
B.Sc., Physics Hons., Panjab University, 2002
Fellow, Shiv Nadar IoE, Dadri, India, 6Jan 2025 - present
Guest Faculty, Shiv Nadar IoE, Dadri, India, Oct - Dec 2024
Visiting Scholar, Consumption Research Norway (SIFO), OsloMet - Oslo Metropolitan University, June 2023
Lecturer (Part-time hourly paid), Nottingham Trent University, UK, Jan 2019 - Dec 2021
Consultant, Council for Business Sustainability, The Energy and Resource Institute, India, Feb 2016 - Nov 2016
Specialist, Data Workshop, Google India Private Limited, India, Feb 2012 - Jun 2013
Content Analyst, Encyclopedia Britannica (India) Private Limited, India, Jun 2007 - Feb 2009
Content Writer, Midas Touch Investors Association (MTIA - SEBI-registered, Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) funded), India, Mar - May 2007
Social work and community involvement: Contributed as a Founder and Core Team Member to GetVidya Trust (a voluntary organisation working for kids with learning difficulties, especially autism) in 2013; Authored two interactive books for PRAGYA in 2008-09 on mathematics (class 4) and eco-tourism (vocational training); and Volunteered teaching at PRAYAS in 2005-06.
- Research keywords: Product quality, product longevity, premium segments, business functions, decision-making, durable products, sustainable consumption, sustainable production, wardrobe studies
Mahajan, D., Cooper, T., Smith, D., Kent, A. 2023. Producers’ consumption behaviours: Are they looking for durability in products? In: Niinimäki, K. and Cura, K. (Eds.) PLATE 2023 Conference (31 May-2 June 2023, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland) Proceedings. Aalto: Aalto University publication series, 603-610.
Mahajan, D., Cooper, T., Smith, D. and Kent, A., 2023. Producers or consumers: Who opts for longer-lasting quality products? In: Caballero-Pons, Maria; Fischer, Daniel; Greene, Mary, Shen, Julia; Wertheim-Heck, Sigrid; Brown, Halina; Guillen-Hanson, Georgina; Vergragt, Philip J.; Quist, Jaco; Rubik, Frieder (Eds.) (2023). Book of Abstracts of the Joint SCORAI-ERSCP-WUR Conference on Transforming Consumption-Production Systems Toward Just and Sustainable Futures (SCP23). Wageningen. DOI: 10.18174/632251.
Sung, K., Mahajan, D. 2020. Understanding quality in upcycled products. In: Sung, K., Singh, J., Bridgens, B. (Eds.). (2021). State-of-the-art upcycling research and practice: The international upcycling symposium 2020 (4th September 2020, De Montfort University, Leicester, UK) Proceedings. Springer International Publishing.
Mahajan, D., Cooper, T., Smith, D. 2019. The story of product quality and its present-day meaning. In: Nissen, N. F., Jaeger-Erben, M. (Eds.) PLATE 2019 Conference (18-20 September, Berlin) Proceedings. Berlin: Technische Universität Berlin, 487-494.
Mahajan, D., Cooper, T., Smith, D. 2019. Prospects for increasing the share of longer-lasting products in consumer durables markets. In: Nissen, N. F., Jaeger-Erben, M. (Eds.) PLATE 2019 Conference (18-20 September 2019, Berlin) Proceedings. Berlin: Technische Universität Berlin, 475-486.
Mahajan, D., Cooper, T., Smith, D. 2019. Comparative study of companies with different foci on product longevity. In: Al-Habaibeh, A., Asthana, A. and Vukovic, V. (Eds.) ICESF 2019 Conference (9-11 September 2019, Nottingham) Proceedings. Nottingham: Nottingham Trent University Publications.
Invited lecture. Sustainability in textile production. Department of Textile Design, National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), New Delhi. 6 Sept 2024.
Invited moderator for two fireside interview sessions. Iqtisadiyat’24 – Sustainability: Balancing people, profits and the planet, Annual Economics Conclave, organised by the Economics Society, Shiv Nadar University, Delhi NCR. 6-7 Apr 2024.
Invited event judge. Paper Musers: Sphinx, Malaviya National Institute of Technology Jaipur (MNIT), Jaipur. 3 Nov 2023 [online].
Invited session chair. Session: Alternative consumption models. PLATE 2021 Conference (26-28 May 2021, University of Limerick) [online].
Invited lecture. My journey. Department of Management Studies, Malaviya National Institute of Technology Jaipur (MNIT), Jaipur. 3 Feb 2022 [online].
Invited lecture. Importance of grammar in any language. Faculty of Education, Ramkhamhaeng University, Bangkok, 30 October 2021 [online].
Mahajan, D., Cooper, T., Smith, D. and Kent, A., 2023. Premium products: Are they made to last. In: Product Lifetimes and the Environment (PLATE) 2021 Conference, University of Limerick, Online, 26‒28 May 2021.
Mahajan, D., Cooper, T., Smith, D. and Kent, A., 2019. What does product quality really mean?... in 2020. In: ADBE School Research Conference, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, 19 June 2019.
Mahajan, D., Cooper, T., Smith, D., Gnanapragasam, A. 2019. Quality discussion in management has come and gone! In: International Conference on Business, Economics & Sustainable Development (ICBESD), TERI University, New Delhi, India, Online, 22-23 February 2018.
Mahajan, D. 2019. Do you buy premium products? In: Images of Research Competition, International Conference on Energy and Sustainable Futures, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, 09‒11 September 2019.
Mahajan, D., Cooper, T., Smith, D., Gnanapragasam, A. 2019. Analysis of the white goods industry. In: Third International Conference of the Sustainable Consumption Research and Action Initiative (SCORAI), Copenhagen Business School, Copenhagen, 27‒30 June 2018.