When Karan Grover, architect and passionate promoter of green buildings in India, speaks, he brooks no interruption. You may disagree with what he says, but contradicting him is not easy; even if you believe that the environment he exhorts you to save is not a scarce commodity. Grover is aware of the impact he makes on his listeners. “When I leave the room, I know that I have got across my passion to the people in there.” And that is how he markets his wares to a niche that most in India tend to dismiss out of hand.

Grover designed Hyderabad’s CII-Sohrabji Business Centre, one of the world’s greenest buildings. Rated a rare platinum on the LEED (Leadership in energy and development) scale, the building has inspired many. Says S. Srinivas, senior counsellor with the India Green Building Council (IGBC), “We have 15 buildings rated by LEED and from a meagre footprint of 20,000 sq. ft., green buildings now occupy 1.6 million sq. ft. in the country.”

The perception that green makes business sense is gaining ground even in India. Energy-saving lights, organic foods, recycled bags and accessories, eco-tourism and environment-friendly residential complexes — consumers are being nudged into buying a diverse array of products that are good for them and for the environment.

Companies are being helped along by two factors. First: rising levels of disposable income in urban centres. And second, a greater understanding of the Indian green consumer. It is clear to most that the green Indian takes time to evolve into the green consumer. Transition depends on the three Cs: convenience, cost and concern for the environment. Companies are drawing up innovative marketing and awareness strategies around these major influencers to hasten the makeover.