Digital Consciousness and Sustainable Consumption Among Generation Z in India: A Socio-Legal Analysis of Corporate Accountability in The Digital Marketplace

Abstract

The rise of digital ecosystems has changed the consumption patterns of Generation
Z in India, making them a socially conscious, ecologically aware, and digitally savvy
generation. Digital consciousness, informed by digital activism, algorithmic exposure,
and participatory digital culture, has been a strong driver of Gen Z’s attitudes toward
sustainable living. At the same time, this quest for ethical consumption cuts across
legal regimes relating to consumer protection, corporate accountability, environmental
governance, and digital transparency. This paper critically probes the extent to which
Indian law supports or inhibits sustainable consumption in the digital marketplace,
particularly in light of misinformation, greenwashing, and nontransparent corporate
practices. The paper indicates the dire need for more developed accountability
mechanisms to translate the sustainability concerns of Gen Z into structural change
through an analysis of statutory instruments, judicial developments, scholarship,
and market trends.