Professor Prathap Oburai worked in the Marketing Area from 8th September 2003 to 1st July 2011. While on a Chaardhaam Yatra, he went missing at Devprayag in Tehri, Uttarakhand, on 1st July 2011.

Prof. Oburai obtained his BTech in Computer Sciences in 1988 from the Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Technology in Hyderabad. He then studied at IIMA where he completed his Post Graduate Diploma in Management in 1990. Prof. Oburai began work at Maruti Udyog as a Sales and Marketing Executive. Later in 1993, he worked as an Executive Assistant at SOL Pharma in Hyderabad. Between 1994 and 1996, Prof. Oburai worked as the Product Manager at the Nagarjuna Group, India Credit Administration and Strategy. Here, he negotiated and finalized an innovative securitization contract worth pound 10m receivables. Prof. Oburai received his MSc and PhD in 1997 and 2001 respectively from the University of Strathclyde in Scotland.

Prof. Oburai worked with IIM Bangalore as a Visiting Faculty in Marketing between 2001 and 2003. Later, he joined IIMA as an Assistant Professor in Marketing.

Prof. Oburai worked with several journals and organizations including the UK European Marketing Academy, the UK European Marketing Academy and Purchasing Group and the Strathclyde International Business Unit. He was also an Invited Editorial Board Member on the Journal of Marketing Management in the United Kingdom.

Prof. Oburai was working on two book projects at the time of his disappearance. He co-authored The Principle of Cumulativity, An Introduction to Marketing: Critical Perspectives on Business and Management, Volumes 1-5 (2001) and Strategic Marketing Alliances, Partnerships and Networks-the Logic of Cooperation, Roots, Evolution and Advantage.

His disappearance shocked students, colleagues and family alike. Prof. Oburai has been described as jovial, friendly and good hearted. Students recall evenings well spent playing table tennis with the professor. Prof. Oburai was famous for adopting unusual teaching methods. He was widely considered one of the best marketing research professors in the country.

Date of Birth: July 01, 1967