Indians More Eco-Friendly Than Chinese

Consumers in India are more environmental-friendly than their counterpart in China. According to a report by DuPoint India, Indians have a higher degree of familiarity with bio-based products than Chinese.
“The potential for green and bio-based products in India is apparent from this survey,” said Dr. Renu Swarup, MD, Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) and senior advisor, Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science & Technology.
As per the survey, 63% of consumers in India are familiar with bio-based products while only 43% of consumers in China know about these products. However, consumers in matured markets such as Canada and the US lead the way with 78% and 76% consumers being familiar with green products respectively.
The study also revealed that India was far more lucrative market for bio-based products than China as 85% Indians believed in the benefits of the green products followed by 70% in China. Surprisingly, only 65% and 60% shoppers in Canada and USA have confidence in eco-friendly products respectively.
Interestingly, the study also found out that in the overall bio-based products, consumers are likely to buy products in categories such as apparel, personal care and hygiene among other.
“About 67% consumers in India are likely to purchase apparel, personal care, hygiene and household products made from bio-based ingredients that offer environmental benefits,” stated the report.
In terms of the target audience, the survey suggested that the 69% potential buyers of these products could be consumers under the age of 30 years old, who have shown a higher level of familiarity with green products compared to their counterparts.

Emphasizing on the growing need to adopt green products, Vikram Prabhu, regional business director, Asia Pacific, DuPont Industrial Biosciences said, “Green and bio-based solutions are not only essential to address the challenges of India’s growing population, but also an expectation of a younger generation and rising middle class”.

If one goes by the survey then bio-based products manufacturers can look at India as potential market to invest and expand their businesses as there is a broad awareness of green products across the country with young consumers at the forefront.