IT companies in India are beating their international rivals when it comes to environmentally-friendly business practices, according to Greenpeace.

The environmental activist group’s claim arrived as it picketed offices of US computer maker Dell in Bangalore to protest what it claims are environmentally-damaging manufacturing practices.

The lobbyist organisation alleges that Dell has reneged on its long-term agreement to eliminate use of polyvinylchloride (PVC) and brominated flame retardants (BFRs) by the end of 2009.

"It is disappointing to see that a firm, which aspires to be the greenest technology company on the planet, backtracks on its commitment to phase out deadly chemicals from its products and lags behind IT firms like Wipro and HCL," said Abhishek Pratap, a Greenpeace India campaigner.

A similar complaint led the group to deface the Californian headquarters of rival PC maker Hewlett Packard last year.

In February 2010, Greenpeace commended Indian IT services provider Wipro after it began production of ‘Greenware’ computers – free of both PVC and BFRs – which Wipro claims will eventually cover 15% of its total PC portfolio.

The rapid economic expansion of developing countries poses a grave threat to the environment. However, many of those countries have exhibited a greater commitment to environmental protection than their Western counterparts. A report from the Pew Institute published this month found that Chinese investment in clean energy outstripped that of the US in 2009.