Mondaq has recognised Vikrant Rana, Managing Partner of S.S. Rana & Co., in its Thought Leadership Awards, Spring 2024. His article on greenwashing, co-authored with Anuradha Gandhi, placed second (#2) for India in Environmental Law, one of four placings that made S.S. Rana & Co. a Top Firm for India in the same edition.
About the Mondaq Thought Leadership Awards
Mondaq is an online publisher of legal, regulatory and financial commentary written by law firms and advisers around the world, and its awards site is co-branded with The Legal 500. Its Thought Leadership Awards recognise the authors whose articles readers turn to most.
Who qualifies. The awards draw on articles published on Mondaq by contributing firms and their authors, with separate results for each country and for a range of topics, including Environmental Law.
How winners are chosen. Mondaq decides the awards on total readership during the award period.
The format. For each country and topic, Mondaq names the top three placings. Each co-author of a placed article is recognised individually.
What the award recognises
The recognised article, Greenwashing: An Overview, was published on 11 December 2023. It explains:
What greenwashing is. Selective disclosure about an organisation’s environmental practices, products or services, designed to build a positive brand image and drive purchases, at a time when industry research found many green claims in India to be exaggerated or misleading.
The forms it takes. Hidden trade-offs, claims of protecting biodiversity that mask damage, false eco-labels, lack of proof, vague terms such as “natural”, outright false claims and front groups set up to look independent.
What drives it, and the harm. Consumer demand for green products and the premium they command, inconsistent reporting standards and competitive pressure drive greenwashing. It damages consumer trust and the environment, and exposes companies to investigation and litigation.
Related ideas. The difference between greenwashing and genuine green marketing, and bluewashing, which exaggerates social and governance credentials instead.
A greenwashing check for businesses
Environmental claims are now part of many brands. A few principles help keep them on the right side of consumer law and advertising standards in India:
Be specific. Replace broad words such as “eco-friendly” or “green” with precise statements about what has changed, for example the share of recycled content in packaging.
Keep the evidence. Hold data, test results or audits that support every claim before it is made, as the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 and the Advertising Standards Council of India’s code both focus on whether claims can be substantiated.
Look at the whole product. Avoid highlighting one green feature while the product’s overall impact points the other way.
Use real certifications. Only use eco-labels and certifications that are recognised and can be verified, and do not create look-alike labels.
Stay consistent. Keep advertising and packaging claims in line with sustainability disclosures, including the Business Responsibility and Sustainability Report that India’s largest listed companies file with SEBI.
S.S. Rana & Co. advises on environmental law and on advertising and brand compliance.
About the authors
Vikrant Rana, Managing Partner. Vikrant leads S.S. Rana & Co., a full-service IP and corporate law firm founded in 1989 and headquartered in New Delhi. Best known for his IP practice, he also writes on wider legal and regulatory developments affecting businesses, including consumer protection and advertising.
Anuradha Gandhi. Anuradha Gandhi of S.S. Rana & Co. co-authored the article, and in the same edition also placed second in Technology with Isha Sharma.
Recognition in 2024
| Award or ranking | Recognition | Edition |
| Mondaq Thought Leadership Awards, India | Vikrant Rana and Anuradha Gandhi: #2, Environmental Law | Spring 2024 |
| Mondaq Thought Leadership Awards, India | S.S. Rana & Co.: Top Firms | Spring 2024 |
| IP STARS (Managing IP) | Vikrant Rana: Trademark Star | 2024 |
| Chambers Asia-Pacific | Vikrant Rana: ranked, Intellectual Property (India) | 2024 |
See the Environmental Law results and our pages on the firm’s Spring 2024 Top Firms recognition, Rupin Chopra’s Antitrust/Competition Law award and Renu Bala Rampal and Johny Solomon Raj’s award. Read about Vikrant’s 2024 recognition as a Trademark Star and in Chambers Asia-Pacific. Each recognition is recorded on our Awards page.
We congratulate Vikrant and Anuradha on this recognition, and thank everyone in India and abroad who read and shared their work.
Frequently Asked Questions
Mondaq Spring Environmental Law Vikrant Rana 2024
Yes. Vikrant Rana, Managing Partner of S.S. Rana & Co., with co-author Anuradha Gandhi, placed second (#2) for India in Environmental Law in the Mondaq Thought Leadership Awards, Spring 2024.
“Greenwashing: An Overview”, published on 11 December 2023.
Greenwashing is selective or misleading disclosure about an organisation’s environmental practices, products or services, designed to create a positive brand image and encourage purchases. It includes hidden trade-offs, false eco-labels, vague terms such as “natural”, unsubstantiated claims and outright false statements.
Misleading environmental claims can be challenged as misleading advertisements under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, and the Advertising Standards Council of India’s code requires claims in advertising to be substantiated. The Government has also consulted on specific guidelines on greenwashing.
Make specific claims rather than broad ones, back every claim with evidence, consider the whole life of the product rather than one feature, use only recognised and verifiable certifications, and keep advertising consistent with sustainability disclosures.
Write to info@ssrana.com with a short description of your matter, and the firm will connect you with him.
The article is available on ssrana.in.
For more information on Energy Law, Renewable Energy, Carbon Credit Trading Scheme (CCTS), Carbon Credit Certificates, Emission Intensity Targets, Energy Conservation Act Compliance, ESG Advisory, ESG Disclosures, Business Responsibility and Sustainability Reporting (BRSR), Greenwashing Risk, Environmental Compliance, Environmental Clearances, Pollution Control Compliance, Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), Climate Regulation, Regulatory Compliance and Corporate Advisory in India write to us at info@ssrana.com