This document provides an overview of green marketing in India. It defines green marketing as marketing of products and services based on environmental factors. The objectives of the study are to understand green marketing, study the present scenario and challenges in India, and analyze green marketing's future prospects through a SWOT analysis. Some challenges to green marketing in India include the need for standardization, that it is a new concept, and avoiding an overemphasis on environmental aspects over customer needs. However, green marketing also provides opportunities to access new markets, gain a competitive advantage, and improve social awareness.

1. Green Marketing in India – An
Overview
Anto Chacko & HariKrishnan P M

2. Green Marketing - Introduction
Green Marketing is the marketing of products and services
based on environmental factors or awareness.
Green Marketing companies seek to go above and beyond
traditional marketing by promoting environmental core
values in the hope that, consumers will associate there values
with their company or brand.
Engaging in these sustainable activities can lead to creating a
new product line that caters to a new target market.

3. Definition of Green Marketing
According to the American Marketing Association, green
marketing is the marketing of products that are presumed
to be environmentally safe.

4. Objective of the Study
 To understand about green marketing.
 To study the present scenario and potential of green marketing in
India.
 To study the challenges faced by Green marketers in India.
 Green marketing and its future prospectus.
 To do a SWOT analysis on Green Marketing in India.

5. Evolution of Green Marketing
The promotion of environmentally safe or beneficial products, green
marketing began in Europe in the early 1980s when specific
products were identified as being harmful to the earth’s atmosphere.
As a result, new “green” products were introduced that were less
damaging to the environment. The concept caught on in the United
States and has been gaining steadily ever since.
According to Peattie (2001), the evolution of green marketing has
three phases.
Ecological, Environmental, Sustainable

6. Green Marketing Mix
 Product:
The ecological objectives in planning products are to reduce
resource consumption and pollution and to increase effective
utilisation of scare resources.
 Price:
Price of green products may may be a little higher than other
products, because of higher quality of incredients.

7.  Place:
The choice of where and when to make a product available will
have significant impact on the customers. Very few customers will
go out of their way to buy green products.
 Promotion:
A communication with the market should put stress on
environmental aspects.

8. Challenges in Green Marketing
 Need for Standardization:
There is no standardization currently in place to certify a
product as organic. Unless some regulatory bodies are
involved in providing the certifications there will not be any
verifiable means. A standard quality control board needs to
be in place for such labelling and licensing.
 New Concept
Indian literate and urban consumer is getting more aware
about the merits of Green products. But it is still a new
concept for the masses. The consumer needs to be educated
and made aware of the environmental threats.

9.  Patience and Perseverance
The investors and corporate need to view the environment as a
major long-term investment opportunity, the marketers need to look
at the long-term benefits from this new green movement. Since it is
a new concept and idea, it will have its own acceptance period.
 Avoiding Green Myopia
The first rule of green marketing is focusing on customer
benefits. It is not going to help if a product is developed which is
absolutely green in various aspects but does not pass the customer
satisfaction criteria. This will lead to green myopia.

10. SWOT Analysis
Strength Weakness Opportunity Threats
Get access to new
markets
Customers give more
preference to their
personal needs than
environment
Increase in the demand
for eco-friendly
products
Uncertainty as to the
environmental impact of
present activities.
Gain an advantage over
competitor and builds
brand equity and wins
brand loyalty
Green labelling as
becoming a marketing
gimmick
Companies can improve
their social awareness
Uncertainty which
green marketing
activities are acceptable
from a government
perspective.
Can charge a premium
on more eco-
responsible products
Overemphasizing
greenness rather than
customer needs can
prove devastating for a
product.
Others are forced to
move on eco-friendly
products
Possibility of a backlash
from consumers or
government based on
existing green
marketing

11. Present Trends in Green Marketing in India
 Best Green IT Project: State Bank of India: Green IT@SBI
 Indian Oil's Green Agenda Green Initiatives
 The Thyagaraja Stadium: India's 1st Green Stadium
 Introduction of CNG in Delhi
 Eco-friendly Rickshaws before CWG
 Wipro Green It - Wipro's Green Machines (In India Only)
 Agartala to be India's first Green City

12. Conclusion
Green marketing is a tool for protecting the environment for future
generation. Adoption of Green marketing may not be easy in the
short run, but in the long run it will definitely have a positive impact
on the firm. Green Marketing is still in the stage of childhood in the
Indian companies.
Therefore, there is a need for green marketing and a need for a
shift in the consumer ‘s behaviour and attitude towards more
environment friendly life styles. The companies must keep in mind
that the consumers are very much concerned about the
environmental issues cropping up in the country and they are very
much willing to pay a premium price for the „green‟ products, if
these eco-friendly products provide an extra value to the consumers.