Abstract

The Indian automotive sector is under mounting pressure to transition toward sustainable practices, yet there is a lack of structured guidance on which green marketing strategies are most effective in this unique market. This study employs a hybrid Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) framework combining Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) to evaluate and rank nine key strategies against five criteria: environmental impact, consumer acceptance, cost-effectiveness, regulatory compliance, and long-term sustainability. Data were gathered through structured surveys and interviews with industry experts, marketing professionals, and academics. Results indicate that consumer awareness campaigns, green product innovation, and green branding and positioning emerge as the top three strategies for driving green vehicle adoption in India’s price-sensitive and regulation-driven landscape. These findings offer actionable insights for manufacturers and policymakers, demonstrating that engaging and educating consumers, alongside technical innovation and strong branding, are pivotal for sustainable market transformation. The study also validates the applicability of AHP-TOPSIS in complex, sustainability-focused strategic decision-making and highlights avenues for future research, including integration of real-time consumer data and exploration of hybrid MCDM models.

Keywords

Green Marketing, Strategies, Automotive Sector, AHP, TOPSIS, India,

Metrics

Metrics Loading ...

References

  1. Agarwal, S., Saxena, K.K., Agrawal, V., Dixit, J.K., Prakash, C., Buddhi, D., Mohammed, K.A. (2024). Prioritizing the barriers of green smart manufacturing using AHP in implementing Industry 4.0: a case from Indian automotive industry. The TQM Journal, 36(1), 71-89. https://doi.org/10.1108/TQM-07-2022-0229
  2. Bhatia, M.S., Jakhar, S.K. (2021). The effect of environmental regulations, top management commitment, and organizational learning on green product innovation: Evidence from automobile industry. Business Strategy and the Environment, 30(8), 3907-3918. https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.2848
  3. Borah, P.S., Dogbe, C.S.K., Pomegbe, W.W.K., Bamfo, B.A., Hornuvo, L.K. (2023). Green market orientation, green innovation capability, green knowledge acquisition and green brand positioning as determinants of new product success. European Journal of Innovation Management, 26(2), 364-385. https://doi.org/10.1108/EJIM-09-2020-0345
  4. Campos-Romero, H., Rodil-Marzábal, Ó., Pérez, A.L.G. (2024). Environmental asymmetries in global value chains: The case of the European automotive sector. Journal of Cleaner Production, 449, 141606. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2024.141606
  5. Canco, I., Kruja, D., Iancu, T. (2021). AHP, a reliable method for quality decision making: A case study in business. Sustainability, 13(24), 13932. https://doi.org/10.3390/su132413932
  6. Duppati, G., Scrimgeour, F., Kijkasiwat, P., Ajmal, H. (2024). Effects of Institutional Environment on Green Investment in the Automotive Sector. In The Palgrave Handbook of Green Finance for Sustainable Development. Springer International Publishing, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-65756-6_14
  7. Green, V.E.A., Erasmus, A.C. (2024). Adopting a green strategy and related practices: Lessons from small food establishments in an emerging economy. Cleaner Production Letters, 7, 100071. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clpl.2024.100071
  8. Hoveidafard, A., Moradinia, S.F., Golchin, B., Ghaffari, A. (2025). Identification of Required Stations for Autonomous Vehicles using AHP AND TOPSIS Method with GIS Approach. Sustainable Futures, 10, 100755. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sftr.2025.100755
  9. Huang, L., Solangi, Y.A., Magazzino, C., Solangi, S.A. (2024). Evaluating the efficiency of green innovation and marketing strategies for long-term sustainability in the context of Environmental labeling. Journal of Cleaner Production, 450, 141870. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2024.141870
  10. Irfan, A., Bryła, P. (2024). Green marketing strategies for sustainable food and consumer behavior: A systematic literature review and future research agenda. Journal of Cleaner Production, 486, 144597. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2024.144597
  11. Jain, S., Basu, S., Dwivedi, Y.K. (2024). Green brand identity and B2B channel partners' tactical green marketing orientation: Moderating effect of brand governance. Industrial Marketing Management, 119, 218-237. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indmarman.2024.04.013
  12. Jeyhoonipour, M., Azami, S., & Delangizan, S. (2024). Modeling and identification of causal relationships between the main factors of credit risk in the banking system using the Dematel decision making technique. The Journal of Economic Policy, 17(33), 180-211.
  13. Klink, G., Mathur, M., Kidambi, R., Sen, K. (2014). Contribution of the automobile industry to technology and value creation. Auto Tech Review, 3(7), 18-23. https://doi.org/10.1365/s40112-014-0688-5
  14. Kushwaha, G. S., Sharma, N.K. (2016). Green initiatives: a step towards sustainable development and firm's performance in the automobile industry. Journal of cleaner production, 121, 116-129. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2015.07.072
  15. Mathivathanan, D., Agarwal, V., Mathiyazhagan, K., Saikouk, T., Appolloni, A. (2022). Modeling the pressures for sustainability adoption in the Indian automotive context. Journal of Cleaner Production, 342, 130972. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.130972
  16. Meena, A., Dhir, S. (2021). An analysis of growth-accelerating factors for the Indian automotive industry using modified TISM. International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, 70(6), 1361-1392. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJPPM-01-2019-0047
  17. Mishra, R., Singh, R. K., & Rana, N. P. (2022). Developing environmental collaboration among supply chain partners for sustainable consumption & production: Insights from an auto sector supply chain. Journal of Cleaner Production, 338, 130619.
  18. Nalluri, V., Huynh-Cam, T.T., Sama, H., Chen, L. (2023). Decision-making model for the effective e-services adoption in the Indian educational organizations. Decision Science Letters, 12(2), 211-224. https://doi.org/10.5267/j.dsl.2023.2.003
  19. Pathak, S.K., Karwasra, K., Sharma, V., Sharma, V. (2021). Analysis of barriers to green manufacturing using hybrid approach: an investigatory case study on Indian automotive industry. Process Integration and Optimization for Sustainability, 5, 545-560. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41660-021-00160-z
  20. Rawat, G., Pande, M. (2024). Adoption of green marketing strategies and challenges in sustainable business practices: Insights from Indian companies. Journal of Corporate Governance, Insurance, and Risk Management, 11(2), 98-112. https://doi.org/10.56578/jcgirm110202
  21. Rezaeinejad, I. (2021). Automotive industry and its place in the economy: case study Iran auto industry. Asian Journal of Economics, Finance and Management, 530-539.
  22. Roh, T., Noh, J., Oh, Y., Park, K.S. (2022). Structural relationships of a firm's green strategies for environmental performance: The roles of green supply chain management and green marketing innovation. Journal of cleaner production, 356, 131877. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.131877
  23. Sama, H.R., Chen, L.S., Nalluri, V., Chendragiri, M. (2023). Enhancing service quality of rural public transport during the COVID-19 pandemic: A novel fuzzy approach. Public Transport, 15(2), 479-501. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12469-022-00318-z
  24. Tzanidis, T., Magni, D., Scuotto, V., Maalaoui, A. (2024). B2B green marketing strategies for European firms: Implications for people, planet and profit. Industrial Marketing Management, 117, 481-492. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indmarman.2024.01.018
  25. Vangeri, A.K., Bathrinath, S., Anand, M.C.J., Shanmugathai, M., Meenatchi, N., Boopathi, S. (2024). Green Supply Chain Management in Eco-Friendly Sustainable Manufacturing Industries. In Environmental Applications of Carbon-Based Materials, IGI Global, 35. https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-3693-3625-0.ch010
  26. Virmani, N., Bera, S., Kumar, R. (2021). Identification and testing of barriers to sustainable manufacturing in the automobile industry: a focus on Indian MSMEs. Benchmarking: An International Journal, 28(3), 857-880. https://doi.org/10.1108/BIJ-08-2020-0413