Sustainability has become one of the most discussed themes in modern consumerism. Yet, for many conscious buyers, finding genuinely sustainable products remains a challenge amid widespread greenwashing and misleading environmental claims. Brown Living is working to solve this problem by creating a trusted platform where consumers can discover verified sustainable brands and products.

In an exclusive conversation with Indian Startup Times (IST), Chaitsi Ahuja, Founder of Brown Living, shared her entrepreneurial journey, the inspiration behind building India’s sustainable marketplace, the challenges of creating trust in the eco-commerce space, and her vision for the future of conscious consumption.

Beyond its consumer marketplace, Brown Living supplies verified, documented sustainable products to over 300 companies — positioning it as a verification-infrastructure layer, not only a storefront.

From Marketing Professional to Sustainability Entrepreneur

Before launching Brown Living, Chaitsi Ahuja spent several years working across consumer markets, digital brand building, and marketing. Her professional journey gave her deep insights into consumer behavior and how purchasing decisions shape lifestyles and habits.

Over time, she noticed a growing disconnect between the increasing demand for sustainable products and the lack of transparency surrounding them.

“I was deeply interested in consumer behavior and how people make lifestyle choices. But I realized there was a significant gap when it came to finding products that were genuinely sustainable and honest about their impact,” Chaitsi recalled.

A turning point came during a visit to China in 2016, where she witnessed the large-scale closure of chemical factories as part of a sourcing visit. The experience sparked her curiosity about environmental responsibility and inspired her to explore the world of sustainable businesses.

As she began researching the space, interviewing founders, customers, and studying emerging brands, she discovered a common challenge: consumers wanted cleaner, more responsible products but lacked a reliable way to verify sustainability claims.

That insight eventually became the foundation for Brown Living.

Why ‘Brown Living’ Instead of Green?

The name Brown Living stands out in a market where sustainability is often associated with the color green.

For Chaitsi, the choice was intentional.

She explained that brown represents the earth, soil, and the natural ecosystem that sustains life. While green has become heavily used in sustainability marketing, brown reflects the deeper origins of soil as life on the planet, nature and regeneration.

“We wanted a name that symbolized the earth itself. Brown felt more authentic to the larger sustainability journey than simply following the traditional green narrative,” she said.

The name reflects the company’s broader mission of promoting mindful consumption while staying rooted in transparency and authenticity.

Tackling Greenwashing Through Verification

One of the biggest problems Chaitsi identified in the sustainability industry was greenwashing — the practice of making exaggerated or misleading environmental claims.

Many consumers wanted to make responsible purchasing decisions but struggled to differentiate genuinely sustainable brands from marketing-driven narratives.

To address this challenge, Brown Living developed what it calls the “Brown Lens” — a rigorous framework designed to evaluate brands and products against multiple sustainability standards.

Rather than accepting claims at face value, the platform conducts extensive assessments and verification processes before onboarding brands.

“Our goal is to create a trust layer for sustainability. Consumers shouldn’t have to spend hours researching whether a product is genuinely sustainable. That’s the work we do for them,” Chaitsi explained.

This verification-first approach has become one of Brown Living’s strongest differentiators in the market.

To date, Brown Living has screened roughly 3,000 sellers and onboarded only about 800 — turning away nearly three in four. Those sellers account for close to 65,000 products assessed against the Brown Lens.

Building a Marketplace Based on Trust

Unlike traditional e-commerce platforms that prioritize scale above all else, Brown Living has built its reputation by maintaining strict onboarding standards.

According to Chaitsi, one of the toughest decisions has often been saying no to sellers who fail to meet the platform’s sustainability criteria.

While this limits rapid expansion, it has helped strengthen customer confidence and protect the integrity of the marketplace.

“The hardest part is turning away brands that don’t meet our standards. But maintaining trust is more important than short-term growth,” she said.

Over time, Brown Living has evolved beyond being just a marketplace. The company increasingly sees itself as a sustainability verification and trust platform that helps consumers make informed choices.

Creating a Home for Conscious Consumers

Today, Brown Living offers products across multiple categories, including personal care, home and living, fashion, work essentials, travel products, and gifting solutions.

Every product listed on the platform must align with the Brown Lens framework.

Chaitsi believes that sustainable shopping is no longer limited to a niche audience. Consumer behavior is gradually shifting from convenience-led purchases to trust-led purchasing decisions.

Growing awareness around climate change, waste management, and environmental impact has encouraged buyers to seek products that align with their values.

“Consumers today want to know where products come from, how they’re made, and whether the claims behind them are genuine. Trust has become a major factor in purchasing decisions,” she noted.

To support this shift, Brown Living focuses on storytelling and education, helping customers understand the impact and purpose behind every product they buy.

The Secret Behind Strong Customer Loyalty

One of Brown Living’s most impressive achievements has been its ability to build a highly loyal customer base.

The platform has served more than 85,000 customers and continues to witness strong repeat purchase behavior.

According to Chaitsi, the foundation of this loyalty is honesty.

By prioritizing transparency and maintaining strict verification standards, Brown Living has earned the trust of consumers who frequently return to the platform and recommend it to others.

The company also benefits from strong organic traffic, which contributes significantly to overall customer acquisition.

“When customers trust you, they come back. More importantly, they tell others about their experience,” Chaitsi said.

Maintaining Quality and Customer Confidence

Trust does not stop at product verification.

Brown Living has built a dedicated customer success team that engages directly with customers through WhatsApp, email, and support channels on the platform.

Rather than relying entirely on automation, the company prioritizes human interaction when resolving customer concerns.

Chaitsi believes that while technology can improve efficiency, meaningful customer relationships still require empathy and personal attention.

Regular product reviews, quality audits, and seller evaluations further help maintain consistency and customer satisfaction.

Protecting the Platform from Fraud and Misrepresentation

Given the rise of fraudulent claims in online commerce, Brown Living has developed a rigorous onboarding and monitoring process.

Sellers are vetted through KYC checks and documentation and evidence review against the Brown Lens criteria before going live. Where a claim warrants closer scrutiny, the company requires additional proof before a product is verified, and reviews sellers over time. 

These measures help prevent scams, protect customers, and preserve the credibility of the ecosystem Brown Living has worked hard to build.

“We have invested heavily in verification because trust cannot be compromised. It is the foundation of everything we do,” Chaitsi emphasized.

A Second Engine: Verification for Business

Brown Living’s verification increasingly serves businesses as well as consumers. More than 300 companies already rely on the platform for verified, documented sustainable supply. And the opportunity is widening: regimes like India’s BRSR framework and the EU’s incoming Digital Product Passport are turning sustainability verification from a marketing choice into a compliance requirement — demand the company is built to meet as it scales its verification engine. This B2B layer is what funds and scales the infrastructure underneath the marketplace

Scaling the Future of Sustainable Commerce

As Brown Living continues to grow, the company is now focused on scaling its sustainability verification technology and data infrastructure.

The startup is currently raising its Series A funding round to accelerate this vision.

The capital will primarily be used to strengthen its verification engine, build technology-driven sustainability standards, and expand its impact across larger markets.

Chaitsi believes the timing is ideal, with global sustainability regulations becoming more stringent and international markets demanding greater transparency from brands.

She also sees significant opportunities for Indian sustainable brands to compete globally if they can demonstrate credible sustainability credentials.

A Mission Beyond E-Commerce

For Chaitsi, Brown Living is not just about selling products. It is about building a future where consumers can make informed decisions with confidence and where responsible brands receive the recognition they deserve.

By combining technology, transparency, and rigorous verification, Brown Living is creating a trusted ecosystem that bridges the gap between conscious consumers and genuinely sustainable businesses.

As sustainability becomes a defining factor in global commerce, Brown Living is positioning itself as a platform that not only enables responsible shopping but also helps shape the future standards of sustainable business itself.

Interview By: Arushi Agarwal