The attitudes of Indian consumers towards sustainability marketing: a bibliometric analysis

Purpose The Indian subcontinent is a rapidly growing economy with diverse consumers that must keep pace with the ecological, social and commercial realities that affect human life. The country is facing massive climate change challenges, owing to its high economic and infrastructure development. Brand communication strategies increasingly incorporate sustainability marketing. This study aims to help brand managers and marketers understand the attitudes and behaviours of Indian consumers exposed to intense sustainability marketing. Design/methodology/approach A bibliometric analysis of 56 top-quartile Scopus-indexed scholarly articles and related reports was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) 2020 guidelines to identify important themes using R-bibliometrix and VOSviewer. The themes include green products, corporate innovation, strategies adopted for sustainability marketing, consumer beliefs and attitudes towards green consumption, effects of demographic factors and government initiatives. Findings The results indicate the top authors and journals contributing to the subject and also show the need for high-impact research and further collaboration. Current research is mostly limited to green marketing practices and should also consider broader issues in sustainability marketing. The findings indicate that demographic factors, consumer beliefs, corporate innovations and sustainability marketing strategies play important roles in influencing a positive attitude towards sustainability marketing. A customer-centric approach that focuses on long-term relationship development is the key to achieving sustainable marketing. The study also discusses the positive role played by social media in developing sustainable practices and the government in framing policies for following sustainable development goals. The theoretical model and future directions of this study are also discussed. Originality/value This paper shows the need to conduct high-impact research on the subject. The research also points out that firms view sustainability marketing as a commitment to environmental protection and an opportunity to attract new consumers.