Year: 2025 | Month: September | Volume 12 | Issue 3
Determinants of Consumer Perception and Adoption of Plant-Based Milk in India: A Covariance-Based Structural Equation Modeling Approach
Anjali Kumari Nikhil1* and Vipal Bhagat2
DOI:10.30954/2394-8159.03.2025.1
Abstract:
Purpose: The objective of the research work is to find out the factors that influence Indian consumers’ perceptions and the adoption of plant-based milk. Through a wider application of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), it discusses how health awareness, ethical issues, price sensitivity, social influence, and perceived behavioral control as factors, affect the attitudes of the people and their actual purchasing decisions. Design/Methodology/Approach: A cross-sectional survey of 263 Indian consumers in a wide age range of 18 to 55 years was conducted. Data was evaluated using covariance-based structural equation modeling (CB-SEM) with Jamovi 2.6.23 and IBM AMOS 24.0. Initially, the measurement model was tested for reliability and validity, and then the structural model was examined through path coefficients, significance levels, and model fit statistics. Findings: The measurement model was determined to be reliable, and it met the requirements of convergent and discriminant validity. The results of the structural model have shown that attitude has a significant and positive influence on buying behavior, thus confirming its central role in the process of decision-making. The ethical concern was the strongest positive predictor of attitude, and it was followed by perceived behavioural control as an attitude antecedent. Health consciousness and price sensitivity negatively affected attitude in a significant way, which may indicate consumer skepticism or difficulties in evaluating these attributes. Subjective norms did not play a significant role, thus indicating that the purchasing decisions are more affected by personal assessments than by social pressure. The findings, in general, suggest that personal values and perceived control are the two main determinants of consumers’ buying behaviour. Originality/Value: This research can be considered as one of the very first attempts to thoroughly investigate the case of plant-based milk adoption in the Indian scenario through the application of CB-SEM, thereby providing empirical support for the extended TPB model. The conclusions drawn from the study are valuable not only for marketers but also for policymakers and the whole food industry seeking to facilitate the sustainable transformation of diets in the emerging markets.
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