The impact of a brand's perceived environmental friendliness on Indian consumer sentiment and

purchasing intent The goal of this paper, produced by Plavini Punyatoya, is to investigate the impact
of perceived brand environment friendliness (PBE) on brand trust and perceived brand value, as well
as the following impact on consumer's environment friendly (EF) brand attitude and buy intention.

It talks about how recently brands have moved to the Environment-Friendly concept as a brand and
how it subsequently influences its consumers. As the government changes and people become more
environmentally conscious. To the point that, while purchasing something, people now consider
whether or not it will hurt the environment. Plavini discusses a shift in customer behavior in terms of
what they consider important. Brand Reputation Eco-friendliness is described as a consumer's
perception of a brand's environmental friendliness and how that perception instills trust in the
consumer.

The current study is being carried out in India, which is a developing country. Indians are becoming
more ecologically sensitive, as seen by recent environmental legislation and judicial activism. India is
one of the world's fastest developing economies, with enormous prospects, and is increasingly a
favorite investment location for many foreign companies. With a projected real GDP growth rate of
7%, India is expected to become the world's third-largest economy

Annually, between 7% and 9%. Though not in large numbers, a few Indian companies have made
initiatives to demonstrate that they are environmentally conscious and committed.

Environmentally friendly brands, such as those mentioned here, have found considerable success in
developing countries. Many market heavyweights have taken this strategy, such as H&M with their
sustainable clothing line or Patanjali with their natural created items theme. It is particularly relevant
in the present market environment.

Fabindia, an Indian company known for producing eco-friendly textiles, home products, personal
care products, and organic foods, is one of the largest private platforms for traditional crafts and
knowledge-based products. HCL Enterprise, a global IT organization based in India, has released the
HCL ME 40, an eco-friendly notebook that the company claims is India's first polyvinyl chloride (PVC)-
free and environmentally friendly notebook. This notepad was devoid of PVC and other potentially
dangerous substances. This aided HCL in cultivating an ecologically conscious corporate image and
establishing itself as a firm dedicated to long-term sustainability. ACC Limited, an Indian company,
has produced an environmentally friendly cement called "Concrete+." To help protect natural
resources, this brand used fly ash, a hazardous industrial waste.

When people perceive a brand to be EF, they gain confidence in its dependability and develop trust
in it. Consumers believe that the EF brand will be beneficial to them and that it will provide value.
Trust is regarded as one of the most crucial factors in any trading relationship, and it plays a
significant role in the creation of consumer attitudes. Many times, these firms strive to create
connections with consumers based on "consumer trust," which combines well with their
environmentally friendly product alignment and the consumer's perception of brand friendliness. It
connects them to a sense that this product is appropriate and will not harm the environment.

Consumers have begun to respond positively to EF products since the 1970s. This is due to a growing
awareness of environmental issues (Alwitt and Pitts, 1996). Today's eco-conscious shoppers will
profit greatly from these EF brands. The current study looked into whether PBE has an impact on
consumer attitudes and purchasing intent, which is a hot topic. Specific brand qualities and benefits
related to the brand's reduced environmental impact and perception as being environmentally
sound are associated with EF brands (Hartmann et al., 2005). Because of the effects of: first,
individual variables, consumers may view a brand as EF (environmental knowledge, concern,
awareness, or involvement)

According to the current study, consumers develop attitudes toward EF brands as a result of
enhanced brand trust and perceived brand value connected with PBE.

Consumers with trust have a positive attitude toward a store, product, or brand. Positive brand trust
leads to a positive brand attitude, according to his research on two separate brands. Trust leads to
brand confidence, which leads to the establishment of a strong positive belief in the brand.
Consumers who have faith in the company making environmental claims have a significantly good
attitude toward the EF brand, according to research.

A pretest is being used in this study to choose a perceived EF brand. Then a survey of 223 Indian
customers is done. The data is analyzed and the proposed integrated model is tested using structural
equation modeling. Vicco Turmeric cream was chosen for further investigation based on the results.

Respondents were picked depending on the convenient sampling method. Many more studies
followed the same methodology. Then, using the paper and pen method, data was obtained via a
self-administered questionnaire survey. The survey was completed in English. The participants gave
their time freely and were not compensated in any way. Before they filled out the questionnaire, the
researcher gave them a brief description of the study's purpose.

According to the findings, PBE is positively related to brand trust and perceived brand value. The
explanation for this could be because consumers' perceptions of EF brands lead to the brand's
establishment of an environmentally conscientious image and increased consumer confidence
(Morgan and Hunt, 1994; Chang and Chen, 2008). Brand trust is also linked to EF brand attitude,
according to the research. As a result, developing a strong positive brand trust is critical for
improving brand perception. This backs up Joji's (2011) notion that focusing on brand credibility is
vital for producing a superior brand attitude. The findings complement earlier research findings that
trust leads to a good attitude and, as a result, better levels of happiness with purchase intention
(Chaudhuri and Holbrook, 2001; Limbu et al., 2012).

Similarly, EF brand attitude is positively associated to perceived brand value. Consumers who have a
positive view of the EF brand are more likely to purchase the brand. All of the study's hypotheses
were supported by SEM data. When people do not see a brand as EF, they may have a poor level of
trust in it. This will not help to improve the brand value and, as a result, the brand attitude. This
study indicates that brand value is a key factor of customer brand attitude, and that brand attitude
leads to purchase intention, as other studies have shown.

This research is one of the first to examine consumer behavior toward EF brands in the Indian
environment. Cheah and Phau (2011) discovered that in developed countries like Australia, people
who have a positive attitude toward environmentally friendly items are more inclined to buy them.
According to their findings, consumers' environmental knowledge and interpersonal influence have
an impact on their EF product attitudes.