Title: Is the new normal driving sustainability: evidence from Indian wedding industry

Authors: Rabi Narayan Kar; Kusha Tiwari

Addresses: Shyam Lal College, University of Delhi, G.T. Road, Shahdara, Delhi – 110032, India ' Department of English, Shyam Lal College, University of Delhi, G.T. Road, Shahdara, Delhi – 110032, India

Abstract: This paper highlights the industrialisation of weddings in India which is in contradiction with the importance given to the marital union in Indian culture and tradition. Weddings of late in India are not just extravagant celebrations, they are also the sites of wasteful expenditure, conspicuous consumption and exhibition of wealth. The overindulgence and ostentatious expenditures are reflective of the utter disregard for teachings and wisdom of Indian knowledge system. The pan-Indian patterns of hyper-consumerism pose challenges to sustainability and ethical living. By applying qualitative research methods, the paper has explored the impact of Covid-19 on the Indian wedding industry and initiated a dialogue around a more permanent shift towards curbing conspicuous consumption and conspicuous waste that the weddings have come to symbolise lately. The findings indicate towards the proposition that the new normal phenomenon is driving towards curbing wastefulness and promoting sustainable living which has a strong foundational footing in ancient Indian value system and culture.

Keywords: Covid-19; Indian wedding industry; sustainability; conspicuous consumption; wasteful expenditure; curbing wasteful expenditure.

DOI: 10.1504/IJISD.2024.135258

International Journal of Innovation and Sustainable Development, 2024 Vol.18 No.1/2, pp.91 - 105

Received: 30 Sep 2021
Accepted: 30 Mar 2022
Published online: 03 Dec 2023 *

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