IMPACT OF GREEN MARKETING ON GREEN PRODUCTS PURCHASE INTENTION IN INDIA

Abstract

Humanity's exponentially increasing use of natural resources has been the root cause of numerous environmental issues globally in recent decades, especially since the industrial revolution. These issues have a serious impact on biodiversity and pose a threat to human well-being. Since we are each individually responsible for some of the severity of these environmental issues, our behaviour as consumers is not environmentally benign. However, the growing awareness among people that pollution levels on Earth are already extremely high has aided in the emergence of a movement for environmental protection. Additionally, businesses and consumers alike—especially those in more developed economies—are realizing how urgent it is to switch to more green production methods and consumer behaviours. Buying green products for everyday use is a great way to reduce and mitigate many of the environmental problems that exist today. It has also become more and more popular among businesses and consumers in recent years. Along with altering their consumption habits, consumers who are going greener also expect businesses to take a more sustainable and ecologically conscious stance. These play a crucial role in shaping demand and the ensuing environmental effects by creating and promoting the goods we use. The importance of sustainability in business has grown over the past few decades, and a number of businesses have made substantial contributions to the cause of encouraging sustainable consumption. Stronger sustainability regulations and the adoption of new technologies targeted at enhancing the environmental, social, and economic business impacts have also caused companies to modify their operations in a more sustainable manner. Environmentally responsible marketing, or "green marketing," is unquestionably a crucial tool for businesses looking to take on a "greener" stance, demonstrate to customers their dedication to making the world a more sustainable place, and gain a competitive edge over rivals. It is now more crucial than ever to comprehend green purchase intention because of developments in environmental, scientific, and networking technologies, such as the internet, as well as heightened public awareness of and concern for ecological challenges, such as the world's warming and population growth. This study revolves around the impact of Green marketing on consumer purchase intention for green products. Through the examination of ten hypotheses, including green perceived value, environmental concern, green packaging, eco-labelling, attitude toward buying green 6 products, green trust, green satisfaction, and social media influence, this study explores the nuances of consumer behaviour towards green products in India. The results show a strong correlation between green perceived value and green trust and satisfaction, highlighting the significance of highlighting green benefits to foster trust and satisfaction. Consumer attitudes regarding buying green products are influenced by environmental concerns, highlighting the significance of values in motivating eco-conscious behaviour. Furthermore, it has been observed that eco-labelling and sustainable packaging have a positive impact on consumer attitudes and green trust. This implies that credible eco-labels and sustainable packaging improve consumer perception. The study has used quantitative approach of over 273 sample size, in which 246 are valid responses, with the remaining 27 being deemed invalid from India. The targeted population is all those individuals that purchase green products. People of age group from 18 to 34 years responded. Data is collected through a questionnaire which consists of questions with demographic profile and questions with 5 points Likert scale. Driven by government initiatives promoting sustainability and rising consumer awareness of environmental issues, green marketing has experienced significant growth and acceptance in India in recent years. Several important conclusions come from this research, such as the fact that consumer attitudes, environmental concern, green packaging, eco-labelling, and perceived value all positively affect consumers' intentions to buy green products. But problems like the denying of hypotheses about environmental knowledge and social media influencers point out where communication and consumer education need to improve. Regardless these obstacles, there are plenty of opportunities for companies to take advantage of the rising demand for green products in India, making the country's green marketing prospects generally bright.