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This paper aims to ascertain Indian consumers’ corporate social responsibility (CSR) perceptions; an affinity for stipulated causes and perceived fit between cause and industry in the current mandatory CSR era in India.

Primary data was collected through an online survey from 1,251 consumers via quota sampling and snowballing, across 36 Indian cities.

The findings indicate no skepticism, positive CSR support and company evaluation. Indian consumers have the greatest affinity for environmental protection. Segments of socially, environmentally and culturally conscious consumers were found. Under quasi-experimental conditions of CSR fit and cause-affinity, positive purchase intention is exhibited across fast-moving-consumer-goods sectors; in which case CSR perceptions cease to have a significant impact on purchase intention.

This result contributes to understanding Indian consumers’ perspective in the mandatory CSR era and adds to the literature on strategic CSR and communication by segmenting consumers by cause affinity.

CSR practitioners could align with consumer-relevant causes that fit with their company’s core business, as controllable initiatives, instead of depending on positive, but less controllable, CSR perceptions of consumers. Implications of the findings on CSR policymaking by the government are also discussed.

The mandatory CSR law has been viewed as a burden by corporate India. This research implies that it may be possible to look at it as an opportunity for strategic CSR, to create a win-win situation for both business and society.

One of the first studies on cause-affinity and CSR fit among Indian consumers using the government stipulated list of causes.

This study aims to investigate the domestic sustainable consumption practices in Indian households and the motivations to do so. These practices also contribute to environment management and its impact on Indian society through the action of reusing, reducing and recycling of consumed products for two generations, namely, the Baby Boomer and the Generation Z.

An exploratory qualitative research was undertaken in which the data were collected through personal interview technique with 64 respondents including males and females from the generations of Baby Boomers and Generation Z of Indian households.

The theoretical framework of the 3R was extended to inculcate broader themes like awareness, action and motivation for the domestic sustainable activities. The findings conclude that the domestic sustainable consumption practices of Baby Boomers in India were far more advanced than their Generation Z counterparts. These two generations differed in their awareness sources, actions of sustainability and the motivations for undergoing the domestic sustainable activities. Managerial implications have been framed for organisations like start-ups, sustainable firms, government organisations and second-hand product vendors. These practices in such organisations could help in the enhancement of circular economy through the domestic waste disposal.

Practical implications are for organisations that can consider the domestic sustainability consumption practices while planning their strategies to maximise stakeholder satisfaction through their corporate social responsibility initiatives and create more goodwill and growth avenues for their businesses.

Where most of the past literature concentrates on the supply chain and manufacturing initiatives of sustainability or sustainable consumption, very few studies look at the angle of domestic sustainability initiative and how they could be linked to the initiative of circular economy. This paper fills this gap in past literature.