Barriers to Green Product Adoption inIndia: A Literature-Based Meta Study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.69968/ijisem.2026v5Si1168-177Keywords:
Green Product Adoption, Sustainable Consumption, Consumer Awareness, Greenwashing, Barriers to SustainabilityAbstract
Green product adoption has become a critical component of sustainable development, especially in emerging economies like India. Despite growing global awareness about environmental protection, the Indian market still shows relatively slow adoption of green products. This study conducts a literature-based meta-analysis using secondary data from research papers, government reports, market studies, and global sustainability documents published between 2010 and 2025. The analysis identifies major barriers that hinder green product adoption in India, including lack of consumer awareness, higher prices, limited availability, trust issues, demographic influences, behavioural resistance, and weak policy enforcement. Findings reveal that awareness and price barriers are the most dominant, followed by supply chain constraints and mistrust due to greenwashing. The study concludes by offering strategies for policymakers, marketers, and manufacturing firms to reduce these barriers and foster sustainable consumption. This research contributes to the existing knowledge base and is especially relevant for states like Bihar, where green consumption is still emerging.
References
[1] Ahmad, N., & Lahiri, S. (2022). Green consumerism in emerging markets: Drivers and deterrents in India. Journal of Consumer Marketing, 39(5), 874–889.
[2] Bhatia, M. (2017). Green marketing in India: An overview of barriers and prospects. International Journal of Research in Commerce & Management, 8(3), 12–19.
[3] Chakraborty, S., & Roy, S. (2020). Eco-label credibility and its impact on purchase intention. Asian Journal of Business Ethics, 9(1), 45–62.
[4] Chatterjee, A. (2019). Consumer perception of green products: A study of barriers in adoption. Indian Journal of Marketing, 49(2), 32–48.
[5] Choudhury, P. (2019). Green product accessibility and distribution challenges in India. Journal of Retailing & Consumer Studies, 26(4), 77–89.
[6] Das, A. (2020). Regulatory gaps and policy barriers affecting green markets in India. Public Policy Review, 15(1), 98–113.
[7] Dev, S., & Sarkar, S. (2023). Digital green marketing and consumer trust in India. Journal of Internet Commerce, 22(3), 325–348.
[8] Gupta, S., & Ogden, D. (2013). To buy or not to buy? Consumer behavior toward eco-friendly products. Corporate Social Responsibility & Environmental Management, 20(6), 430–444.
[9] Jain, R., & Sharma, K. (2022). Behavioural determinants of sustainable consumption among Indian millennials. Sustainability, 14(11), 6612.
[10] Joshi, Y., & Rahman, Z. (2015). Factors affecting green purchase behaviour: A review and future research agenda. International Strategic Management Review, 3(1–2), 128–143.
[11] Kaur, M., & Gill, P. (2021). Price perception and its impact on green product adoption in India. Journal of Cleaner Production, 278, 123–139.
[12] Kumar, R. (2018). Barriers to green purchase intention: An empirical investigation. Management & Marketing Journal, 16(3), 112–130.
[13] Mathur, N. (2016). Consumer attitude and green purchasing: Price as a barrier. Asia-Pacific Journal of Marketing & Logistics, 28(4), 623–639.
[14] Mehta, D. (2023). Understanding Gen-Z’s adoption of eco-friendly products: Trust as a mediating factor. Young Consumers, 24(2), 367–382.
[15] Patel, V. (2024). Challenges in digital eco-communication: Greenwashing and misinformation. Journal of Environmental Communication, 18(1), 89–104.
[16] Ranjan, P., & Sinha, K. (2021). Post-pandemic sustainability behaviour in India: The role of eco- anxiety and affordability. Journal of Consumer Behaviour, 20(5), 1241–1255.
[17] Rao, A., & Singh, R. (2025). The evolution of green consumerism in India: A 15-year review. Journal of Sustainable Development Research, 13(2), 55–78.
[18] Sharma, S. (2011). Consumer awareness and adoption of green products in India. Indian Journal of Marketing Research, 45(3), 18–27.
[19] Singh, D. (2014). Eco-labels and Indian consumers: Trust deficit and barriers. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 38(6), 627–635.
[20] Verma, S., & Chandel, A. (2020). Understanding green product adoption through TPB: Evidencefrom urban India. Environment, Development and Sustainability, 22(9), 8263–8282.
[21] Agarwal, R., & Singh, T. (2012). Consumer willingness to pay for eco-friendly household products:Evidence from India. Journal of Consumer Studies, 35(4), 411–420.
[22] Alniacik, U., & Yilmaz, C. (2012). The effect of green marketing on consumer purchase behavior. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 58, 502–510.
[23] Banerjee, S., & Ghosh, S. (2019). Green purchasing barriers among Indian consumers: Anempirical assessment. Indian Journal of Commerce & Management Studies, 10(1), 54–62.
[24] Biswas, A., & Roy, M. (2015). Green products: An exploratory study on consumers' buying behavior. Journal of Cleaner Production, 87, 463–467.
[25] Chen, Y. S. (2010). Consumer trust in green claims: A study of eco-label reliability. Journal of Business Ethics, 101(2), 239–252.
[26] Dangelico, R. M., & Vocalelli, D. (2017). “Green Marketing”: A systematic review of the literature.Journal of Cleaner Production, 150, 993–1006.
[27] Dhir, A., Sadiq, M., Talwar, S., Sakashita, M., & Kaur, P. (2021). Why do consumers buy green? Asystematic review of literature. Journal of Cleaner Production, 295, 126–180.
[28] Gan, C., Wee, H. Y., Ozanne, L., & Kao, T. H. (2018). Consumer attitudes toward eco-labeled products. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 42(2), 122–135.
[29] Haws, K. L., Winterich, K. P., & Naylor, R. W. (2014). Seeing the world through GREEN-tinted glasses: Consumer beliefs and green behaviors. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 24(3), 336–354.
[30] Kim, H. Y., & Chung, J. E. (2011). Consumer purchase intention for eco-friendly products: The role of trust. International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, 39(2), 114–132.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Md Zunnun Alam

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Re-users must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use. This license allows for redistribution, commercial and non-commercial, as long as the original work is properly credited.





