Greenwashing in India: What It Is, Real Examples and How to Avoid It
Quick answer: Greenwashing is when a brand makes its product or business sound greener than it really is. In India, that usually means vague words like “eco-friendly”, claims with no proof behind them, or one green feature standing in for the whole product. ASCI and the CCPA both issued guidelines on this in 2024.
Table Of Contents
Key takeaways
Greenwashing is rarely a flat-out lie. More often, one small green fact gets stretched to cover an entire product or company.
Two sets of guidelines now apply: ASCI’s green claims guidelines, effective 15 February 2024, and the CCPA’s greenwashing guidelines, notified on 15 October 2024.
Words like “green”, “natural” and “sustainable” need proof attached to them. On their own, they are exactly what the CCPA guidelines warn against.
Three quick questions catch most greenwashing: what exactly is green, who says so, and what’s being left out?
Introduction
Picture two bottles of floor cleaner on a supermarket shelf. One has a little leaf on the label and costs a bit more. Does the leaf mean anything? Most of us honestly can’t tell, and that gap is where greenwashing lives.
It isn’t only a supermarket problem. Green claims turn up in ad campaigns, packaging, annual reports, wedding décor and corporate events. The more people care about the environment, the more tempting it gets to sound greener than you are. The good news is that India has stopped treating this as a grey area. This guide walks you through what greenwashing means, what it looks like here, what the rules say, and how to check a claim yourself. It works whether you’re shopping, running a business or planning an event.
What Is Greenwashing?
Greenwashing means making something look more environmentally friendly than it truly is. ASCI describes it as unsubstantiated, false, deceptive or misleading environmental claims about products, services, processes, brands or operations as a whole. The CCPA’s definition goes a step further. According to JSA’s summary of the guidelines, hiding or leaving out relevant information counts too, and so does using misleading words, symbols or imagery while downplaying harmful attributes.
The word plays on “whitewashing”, and environmentalist Jay Westerveld is credited with coining it in the 1980s, as Mongabay India reports.
Two things are worth knowing early:
It doesn’t need a big lie. A true claim that covers only one small part of a product can still be misleading.
It isn’t the same as imperfect sustainability. No product or event has zero impact. The real test is whether the claim is honest about what it covers.
The CCPA guidelines are fairly reasonable on this. Obvious puffery and generic green colour schemes don’t count as greenwashing. A company mission statement that isn’t tied to a specific product isn’t treated as an environmental claim either. JSA’s example makes the line clear: a mission statement saying growth will follow sustainability principles is fine. Add “and all our products are manufactured sustainably”, and that claim now gets examined.
Why Greenwashing Is a Real Problem in India Right Now
When people are willing to pay more for greener products, sounding green becomes profitable. ASCI’s CEO and Secretary-General, Manisha Kapoor, has noted that environmental impact has become a critical factor in consumer decisions, often leading people to pay a premium. She also said that during a pilot, ASCI found several industries making green claims that were untrue or misleading.
The numbers back up the concern. Mongabay India reports that ASCI processed complaints against 116 advertisements in 2021 over environmental claims. The same report cites a 2021 Ipsos survey in which 64% of Indian consumers said stricter laws are needed to make sure companies make genuine environmental claims.
There’s a quieter cost too. When every product is “green”, the businesses doing real work get harder to spot, and that’s unfair to them and to you.
The Usual Suspects: How Greenwashing Shows Up
Both sets of Indian guidelines point to the same handful of patterns.
1. Vague words with nothing behind them. The CCPA guidelines list terms like “clean”, “green”, “eco-friendly”, “good for the planet”, “minimal impact”, “carbon-neutral”, “natural”, “organic” and “sustainable”. Their position is that these shouldn’t be used without adequate qualifiers, substantiation and disclosures.
2. One green part standing in for the whole. ASCI points out that products often make broad claims although only a very small component is green. It asks advertisers to limit claims to the part that actually has the benefit.
3. Benefits that aren’t really benefits. ASCI says an ad can’t claim an environmental benefit that comes from a legal obligation if competitors face the same rule. It also calls “free-of” claims deceptive if the product swaps one harmful substance for another with similar or higher risk.
4. Pretty pictures doing the talking. The CCPA flags imagery used to suggest eco-friendliness without real details. Its own illustration is a detergent ad showing a family on open grass with the tagline “Gentle on Clothes, Gentle on Nature”. ASCI adds a fair balance: nature colours and ingredient images in branding aren’t automatically a green claim unless they’re linked to one.
5. Badges and seals that don’t hold up. ASCI says certifications should come from accredited bodies, and the ad should make clear what the certifier actually evaluated. The CCPA also flags endorsements that don’t exist or lack recognition from credible authorities.
6. Promises about tomorrow with no plan, and offsets with no timeline. ASCI says future environmental promises need clear, actionable plans. For carbon offsets that won’t happen within two years, the advertiser has to say so clearly.
Greenwashing Examples in India
It’s tempting to name big brands here. The safer and fairer route is to stick to what regulators have themselves flagged, so this section does exactly that.
What ASCI has called out. A Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas review of ASCI complaint outcomes mentions three cases:
an “eco-friendly” natural hand wash liquid
a fruit and vegetable cleaning liquid
a shower scrub whose container was claimed to be made of 30% recycled plastic
ASCI noted that these claims were misleading and likely to lead to widespread disappointment among consumers. Notice how ordinary these products are. Greenwashing doesn’t need a scandal. A single unproven word on a bottle is enough.
What the CCPA says would not pass. The CCPA’s guidance note includes illustrations of claims that need evidence or qualifiers, as JSA’s summary shows:
“Our packaging is made from 100% recycled materials”, with no certificate behind it
“Go green with our product”
“Our product is greener than the competition”
a hand wash advertised as “biodegradable” when only the liquid, and not the bottle, is
How it could look at an event. Imagine a conference that markets itself as “plastic-free” while serving water in plastic-lined cartons. This is a made-up scenario, not a real case. “Plastic-free” is one of the claims the CCPA says needs credible evidence, and an organiser who made it without the proof would be on shaky ground.
What the Rules Say: ASCI, CCPA, SEBI and RBI
Here’s a point many people miss. India doesn’t have a single standalone anti-greenwashing statute, as a King, Stubb & Kasiva analysis published in August 2026 confirms. Instead, several frameworks cover different angles.
ASCI (effective 15 February 2024)
ASCI is the advertising industry’s self-regulator. It treats greenwashing as a breach of Chapter I of its Code, which covers misleading advertisements. Its guidelines say:
Absolute claims like “eco-friendly”, “sustainable” or “planet friendly” need robust data or well-recognised, credible accreditations. They can’t be diluted by a disclaimer, QR code or website link.
General environmental claims should rest on the product’s full life cycle, or clearly state their limits.
Claims about being compostable, biodegradable or recyclable need to specify which part of the product they cover, backed by competent scientific evidence.
CCPA (notified 15 October 2024)
The CCPA’s Guidelines for Prevention and Regulation of Greenwashing or Misleading Environmental Claims, 2024 come with more legal weight. A Rajya Sabha reply confirms the October 2024 date. They apply to environmental claims, to manufacturers, service providers and traders, and to the ad agencies and endorsers involved. As JSA summarises them:
Evidence should be easily accessible and verifiable, based on independent studies or third-party certifications.
Substantiation should be disclosed through a QR code, URL or similar digital medium.
When research data is used, both favourable and unfavourable findings should be highlighted. Cherry-picking is out.
Under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, penalties can include a fine of up to ₹10 lakh, rising up to ₹50 lakh for repeat violations, plus a bar on endorsing products for up to one year (up to three years for repeats), according to Beveridge & Diamond. Any person can complain to the CCPA about a false or misleading advertisement.
A joint ASCI and Department of Consumer Affairs release, quoted by Mongabay India, says a violation of ASCI’s code on misleading ads may also contravene the Consumer Protection Act.
The two sets of guidelines are close cousins but not identical. ASCI says absolute claims can’t be rescued by fine print, while the CCPA expects substantiation to be disclosed. The practical takeaway is to meet the stricter reading of each.
SEBI and RBI (the financial side)
Greenwashing isn’t only about product labels. In February 2023, SEBI issued a circular on dos and don’ts for green debt securities to avoid greenwashing. In April 2023, the RBI’s framework for green deposits also listed addressing greenwashing concerns among its aims.
For companies, the bigger picture is ESG disclosure. If you’re sorting out how sustainability numbers should be reported, the Greenmyna guide on ESG reporting in 2026 and how to keep data honest and investor-ready is a good place to start. It also helps to understand what an ESG score is and why it matters for your company.
One honest caveat: rules evolve. Before publishing any green claim, confirm the latest text with the regulators or a legal advisor.
How to Spot Greenwashing: Five Questions Worth Asking
You don’t need to be an expert. Five questions catch most of it:
What exactly is green? The product, the packaging, the process, or just one ingredient?
Where’s the proof? Look for a named certification, a number, or a link or QR code that actually leads somewhere.
Who says so? A recognised, accredited body is stronger than a badge the brand designed itself.
Compared to what? “Greener” means little without a baseline.
What’s missing? Honest claims mention trade-offs. If only the flattering number appears, be curious.
Signal | Genuine claim | Greenwashed claim |
Wording | Specific and qualified | “Eco-friendly” or “natural” standing alone |
Scope | Says which part is green | Implies the whole product is green |
Proof | Certificate, data or an easy-to-find link | None, or hard to find |
Comparison | States what it’s compared against | “Greener than the rest” |
Trade-offs | Mentioned honestly | Only the good news shown |
What Brands and Event Organisers Can Do Instead
If you’re on the making side of the claim, here’s a practical path.
Say exactly what’s green. “Marigold garlands and reusable fabric drapes” beats “eco décor”. If you’re planning a conference or launch, these sustainable corporate event décor ideas show how specific you can get.
Treat certain words with extra care. “Compostable”, “biodegradable” and “recyclable” are all on the list of claims that need evidence under the CCPA guidelines, and ASCI asks for scientific proof too. This guide to compostable, biodegradable and recyclable materials for event planners in India explains how the three differ.
Back the claim with something recognisable. For events, a standard such as ISO 20121 gives your claims something solid to stand on. Here’s a plain-language ISO 20121 certification guide for India.
Be honest about swaps. Replacing single-use plastics is real progress, as long as the claim says what actually changed. These eco-friendly alternatives to single-use plastics are a handy starting list.
Keep the paper trail. If a claim has a number, keep the data behind it. If it mentions an offset, say clearly when it happens, since ASCI expects disclosure when it won’t be within two years.
Get a second pair of eyes before publishing. Fresh eyes catch the “just one little word” problems.
Greenmyna’s website lists its own impact as 3,18,255 kg of carbon offset, 9,010+ trees planted, 50,216+ meals distributed, 82,342 kg of dry waste recycled and 102,223 kg of waste composted. It also credits the team with diverting 58,229 kg of waste from landfill at the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023. Numbers like these are the kind of specific, checkable claims both guidelines point towards, and they’re a useful model for any brand.
Conclusion: Small Habits, Honest Claims
In 2024 alone, India went from having almost no greenwashing-specific rules to having two sets of guidelines. For you as a consumer, that doesn’t mean distrusting every green claim. It means asking the five questions: what’s green, where’s the proof, who says so, compared to what, and what’s missing. For brands and event organisers, the same habits protect your own claims from becoming tomorrow’s complaint.
Honest sustainability communication is also simply better marketing. It builds the kind of trust that a leaf on a label never could.
Not sure whether your claims or event plan would hold up? Get an independent review of your sustainability claims or event plan with Greenmyna.
FAQs
1. Is greenwashing illegal in India?
There’s no single standalone anti-greenwashing law. But the CCPA’s 2024 guidelines operate under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, and ASCI’s guidelines cover advertising. Misleading green claims can lead to penalties.
2. Who can I complain to about a misleading green claim?
Any person can complain to the CCPA about a false or misleading advertisement. ASCI also accepts complaints from the general public, industry, consumer organisations and government, according to its half-yearly complaints report.
3. Can a small business greenwash by accident?
As written, the definitions focus on the claim itself: whether it’s vague, unsubstantiated or misleading. Using a word like “eco-friendly” loosely, without evidence, is exactly what the guidelines target, so checking claims before publishing matters for businesses of every size.
4. Are words like “natural” and “organic” safe to use?
They’re on the CCPA’s list of generic terms that shouldn’t be used without adequate, accurate and accessible qualifiers and substantiation. Say what’s natural or organic, and have the proof ready.
5. How can you tell whether a green certification is genuine?
ASCI asks advertisers to make clear which attributes the certifier evaluated and to use agencies accredited nationally or internationally, for example by BIS. A badge with no named body behind it deserves a second look.
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