Breaking News, Business, Financial and Economic News, World News from EconoTimes

Become a contributor

Bookmark Econotimes

Fri, Dec 05, 2025 04:36 AM All times are UTC

Follow Series

©Econometrics LLC . All Rights Reserved.

Vivek Astvansh

Professor of Marketing and Data Science, Indiana University
Vivek Astvansh is a professor of marketing at the Kelley School of Business, Indiana University (IU). He is also an adjunct professor of data science at the Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering, IU. In addition, he directs research at the Center for Education and Research in Retail, Kelley School, IU, is an affiliate of the Environmental Resilience Institute at IU, and a fellow of the Institute for Corporate Governance at the Kelley School, IU.

He researches how marketing (thoughts, personnel, actions, and assets) can help a company improve its performance in society, product market, and financial market. His research has been published in the Production and Operations Management, the Manufacturing & Service Operations Management Journal, and the Harvard Business Review.

He teaches analytics. Prior to becoming an academic, he worked in the technology industry for 12 years, writing computer code and marketing analytics solutions.

AI Revolution Series

Chatbots are on the rise, but customers still trust human agents more

Jul 06, 2025 12:16 pm UTC| Insights & Views Technology

Customers contact companies regularly to purchase products and services, inquire about orders, make payments and request returns. Until recently, the most common way for customers to contact companies was through phone...

Trump tariffs: What the president-elect’s rhetoric tells us about how Canada could be affected — again

Nov 12, 2024 05:53 am UTC| Insights & Views Economy

Donald Trump is known for his often outlandish rhetoric. The president-elect of the United States regularly makes public statements that are exaggerations, or vows to take action but fails to do so, which is not...

In the market for a car? Soon you’ll be able to buy a Hyundai on Amazon − and only a Hyundai

Jan 27, 2024 12:59 pm UTC| Business Insights & Views

This is the year you can finally buy a car on Amazon. Well, one kind. Eventually. On Nov. 16, 2023, at the Los Angeles Auto Show, Amazon and Hyundai made a big announcement: Starting sometime in 2024, a new pilot...

Tight budgets are making tipping a thorny issue this holiday season — here's how to manage it

Dec 11, 2023 06:52 am UTC| Life

With the holiday season upon us, many Canadians are reassessing their spending habits in the face of the countrys high cost of living. Canadians are projected to spend 11 per cent less this holiday season compared to...

The hidden risks of buy now, pay later: What shoppers need to know

Oct 16, 2023 09:11 am UTC| Business Economy

Buy now, pay later is a relatively new form of financial technology that allows consumers to purchase an item immediately and repay the balance at a later time in instalments. Unlike applying for a credit card, buy now,...

What are automotive 'over-the-air' updates? A marketing professor explains

Aug 03, 2022 00:55 am UTC| Business

Whenever automakers discover that a vehicle has a defect or does not comply with U.S. laws, they must notify the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and mail a notice to each customer who owns or leases the...

Economy

Asian Currencies Steady as Rupee Hits Record Low Amid Fed Rate Cut Bets

Most Asian currencies held steady on Thursday after modest gains, as markets continued to price in the possibility of a Federal Reserve rate cut next week. The US Dollar Index edged 0.1% higher following an overnight dip...

Asian Markets Mixed as Fed Rate Cut Bets Grow and Japan’s Nikkei Leads Gains

Asian stock markets traded mostly subdued on Thursday, mirroring the modest uptick seen on Wall Street as investors positioned themselves ahead of next weeks Federal Reserve meeting. Market sentiment remained cautiously...

China Urged to Prioritize Economy Over Territorial Ambitions, Says Taiwan’s President Lai

Taiwan President Lai Ching-te has urged Chinese President Xi Jinping to direct his focus toward revitalizing Chinas weakening economy rather than pursuing territorial expansion, highlighting widening economic contrasts...

IMF Deputy Dan Katz Visits China as Key Economic Review Nears

International Monetary Fund Deputy Managing Director Dan Katz is making his first trip to China since leaving his position as chief of staff to U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, marking a significant moment ahead of...

Dollar Slides to Five-Week Low as Asian Stocks Struggle and Markets Bet on Fed Rate Cut

The U.S. dollar fell to a five-week low on Thursday as Asian stocks opened the trading day with muted performance, reflecting growing expectations that the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates at its meeting next week....

Politics

Cuba Reaffirms Anti-Drug Cooperation as Tensions Rise in the Caribbean

Cuban authorities announced that the island is intensifying its fight against narcotics trafficking in the Caribbean, emphasizing ongoing cooperation with the U.S. Coast Guard despite heightened political tensions and an...

Drones Spotted Near Zelenskiy’s Flight Path in Ireland Trigger Security Alert

An Irish naval vessel detected as many as five drones operating close to the flight path of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiys aircraft as he arrived in Ireland for a state visit, according to local media reports on...

Australia Progresses AUKUS Review as U.S. Affirms Strong Support

Australia is moving forward with the newly received United States review of the AUKUS nuclear-powered submarine partnership, signalling renewed confidence in the trilateral defence pact with the U.S. and the United...

Trump Administration Tightens H-1B Visa Vetting With New Focus on Free Speech and Censorship

The Trump administration has introduced stricter vetting measures for H-1B visa applicants, targeting professionals in highly skilled fields often recruited by major U.S. tech companies. According to an internal State...

California Launches Portal for Reporting Alleged Misconduct by Federal Immigration Agents

California has introduced a new online portal that enables the public to submit videos, photos, and other evidence of potential misconduct by federal immigration agents. The initiative comes as immigration enforcement...

Science

Senate Sets December 8 Vote on Trump’s NASA Nominee Jared Isaacman

The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee announced it will vote on December 8 on President Donald Trumps renewed nomination of private astronaut and tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman to lead NASA. Isaacman, known for his...

NASA Cuts Boeing Starliner Missions as SpaceX Pulls Ahead

NASA has significantly scaled back Boeings Starliner program after years of technical issues and delays, announcing that the next Starliner mission to the International Space Station (ISS) will fly without astronauts. The...

Blue Origin’s New Glenn Achieves Breakthrough Success With First NASA Mission

Blue Origins massive New Glenn rocket marked a major milestone as it completed its first mission for paying customers, sending two NASA satellites toward Mars and successfully landing its reusable booster at sea. The...

Cogent Biosciences Soars 120% on Breakthrough Phase 3 Results for Bezuclastinib in GIST Treatment

Cogent Biosciences (NASDAQ: COGT) shares skyrocketed over 120% after the biotech company announced groundbreaking results from its Phase 3 PEAK trial evaluating bezuclastinib in combination with sunitinib for patients with...

Trump and Merck KGaA Partner to Slash IVF Drug Costs and Expand Fertility Coverage

U.S. President Donald Trump and German pharmaceutical company Merck KGaA have announced a groundbreaking deal aimed at lowering the cost of in-vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments while boosting access to fertility care in...

Technology

EU Prepares Antitrust Probe Into Meta’s AI Integration on WhatsApp

The European Commission is reportedly preparing to launch a new antitrust investigation into Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ: META) over the companys recent rollout of artificial intelligence features within WhatsApp....

Sam Altman Reportedly Explored Funding for Rocket Venture in Potential Challenge to SpaceX

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman reportedly explored raising significant capital to acquire or partner with a rocket company, a move that could have created direct competition with Elon Musks SpaceX. According to a report from the...

Wikipedia Pushes for AI Licensing Deals as Jimmy Wales Calls for Fair Compensation

Wikipedia is seeking additional licensing deals with major technology companies to address the growing financial burden caused by artificial intelligence firms heavily scraping its platform, according to co-founder Jimmy...

Firelight Launches as First XRP Staking Platform on Flare, Introduces DeFi Cover Feature

Firelight reaches 25M XRP deposit cap within hours of launch; ushers in a new era for decentralized XRP staking. A new XRP staking platform, Firelight, has officially launched on the Flare blockchain, marking the first...

OpenAI Moves to Acquire Neptune as It Expands AI Training Capabilities

OpenAI has confirmed plans to acquire Neptune, a startup known for its advanced tools that help companies track, monitor, and optimize AI model training workflows. Although the company did not release the financial details...