Green buying behavior in India: an empirical analysis

Purpose Using insights from theory of planned behavior (TPB), this study aims to examine the determinants and their relative importance in predicting green buying behavior among young educated consumers in India. Design/methodology/approach Data are collected from 202 young Indian consumers using online questionnaire survey. Confirmatory factor analysis is used to ensure the reliability and validity of study measures in the present context. Structural equation modeling is used to test the proposed research model. Findings Findings confirm perceived value and willingness to pay premium as significant predictors of the green purchase intention. In turn, green purchase intention significantly influenced green buying behavior. Practical implications This study by advancing the understanding on the factors influencing green product purchase intention and behavior among Indian youths will help the policymakers to design policies and programs to encourage the adoption of green purchase behaviors, which in turn will help in addressing the problem of environmental sustainability, which the whole world is struggling with. Originality/value This study validates the importance of TPB framework in comprehending consumer green product purchase intention and behavior in a culturally different context of India. Thus, this study contributes to the green marketing literature by examining the unique combination of variables in predicting green buying behavior in an integrated framework. It also extends the TPB by demonstrating the importance of additional constructs, perceived value and willingness to pay in predicting green purchase intention and behavior among young millennials in India.