Metamorphosis 18(1) 57–67, 2019 © 2019 Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow Reprints and permissions: in.sagepub.com/journals-permissions-india DOI: 10.1177/0972622519853158 journals.sagepub.com/home/met CSR, Trust, Brand Loyalty and Brand Equity: Empirical Evidences from Sportswear Industry in the NCR Region of India Rajesh Sharma 1 Vranda Jain 1 Abstract This study is aimed towards understanding the effect of perceived CSR initiatives (PCSRI) on brand loyalty, and consumer based brand equity (CBBE) in Indian sportswear market. This study was conducted on a group of respondents in Delhi NCR region. Different categories of sportswear brands were chosen for an adequate representation of market share, price and country of origin. The findings indicate that positive and direct relationships exist between PCSRI and consumer trust, PCSRI and brand loyalty; PCSRI and CBBE; consumer trust and brand loyalty; consumer trust and CBBE; brand loyalty and CBBE. The study contributes to the existing literature in understanding the role of PCSRI in building brand loyalty, consumer trust and CBBE. The study will help managers in implementing action plans for enhancing brand loyalty and CBBE in Indian sportswear industry. Keywords Trust, corporate social responsibility, brand loyalty, consumer based brand equity Article Introduction Due to increasing globalization, the balance of power has shifted from developed economies to emerging economies 1 as businesses from emerging economies are aggressively challenging the authority of global companies 2 . Businesses in the emerging markets have witnessed dramatic changes, such as integrating corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives in their existing practices 3,4 . Therefore, CSR has become an integral part of not only vision and mission but is also the basic tenet of firm’s organizational principles 5,6 . Research scholars 7–11 have shown that brands have been frequently aligned with social causes for supporting the overall business strategy of firms. In the recent past, CSR has gradually evolved as a strategic tool for marketing 12 primarily because consumers are expecting good quality brands which are socially acclaimed. Moreover, CSR is a non-economic factor through which a firm can derive competitive advantage 13 through a superior brand image and positive attitude of consumers. The extant literature has been gradually focusing on why and how consumer behaviour is influ- enced by specific CSR initiatives 14 . In reality, the inter- relationship of consumer behaviour and CSR is complex, therefore there is an uncertainty regarding the role of CSR initiatives in consumer behaviour in general and brand loyalty and customer-based brand equity (CBBE) in particular. Therefore, there is an urgent need to examine this uncertainty. In such scenario, scholars have been consistently empha- sizing the need for intensive research in CSR domain 15,16 especially in emerging markets 17,18 . Despite the fact that there is adequate research on CSR in Western countries 19 , there are very few empirical studies which have explored CSR con- cept in Indian context 20,21 . Researchers have emphasized the importance of empirical studies in CSR domain in Indian society which is different from Western and US societies 22 . Moreover, Indian firms are now bound to legally spend a minimum (2%) of net profit towards CSR initiatives 23 . Even though CSR is of strategic importance to firms, there are certain interesting yet unanswered questions in the literature. For example, research is inadequate in explaining 1 Jaipuria Institute of Management, Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India. Corresponding author: Rajesh Sharma, Jaipuria Institute of Management, A-32A, Sector 62, Noida 201309, Uttar Pradesh, India. E-mail: profrajeshsharma@gmail.com