Jessica Dua from India talks about qualitative research, co-creation with children, and navigating cultural and digital divides.

This episode features Jessica Dua, Senior Qualitative Manager at Cultural Traits in New Delhi, India.

She shares her journey into market research and her experience leading Insights for Impact Award – Qualitative Research 2025 award winning project focused on children in underserved communities in New Delhi.

The conversation explores how qualitative methods such as co-creation and ethnography can uncover real behavioral insights, even in complex environments. Jessica also shares the realities of conducting research across India, including regional diversity, digital access gaps, and cultural nuance.

The episode highlights how researchers adapt methodologies, balance technology with traditional approaches, and ensure meaningful outcomes for both participants and clients.

Episode Highlights:

• Designing a co-creation study with children to develop practical solutions for learning environments
• Managing research challenges in low literacy and low trust contexts
• Adapting methodologies to digital constraints such as device access and connectivity
• Understanding India as a set of diverse markets with linguistic, cultural, and climate differences
• Evaluating the role of AI in research, including its strengths in efficiency and limits in cultural interpretation
• Balancing technology adoption with traditional qualitative methods across urban and rural contexts

About the Guest

Jessica Dua is a Senior Qualitative Manager at Cultural Traits based in New Delhi, India. She specializes in qualitative research methods including in-depth interviews, ethnography, and online communities. Her work focuses on understanding human behavior and cultural context in the Indian market. She was recognized with the Insights for Impact Award 2026 for a project using research to support social outcomes through co-creation with children.

*The Insights for Impact Award is a initiative sponsored by Insight Platforms and Recollective where winner pitches receive resources to conduct an online qualitative research project for a charity, good cause or non-profit organisation.

**More details about the project execution are available in the on-demand webinar From Insight to Impact: Co-Creation with Young Minds from New Delhi.