Sustainability in supply chain

List of journal publications in these areas

List of international conferences according to areas of research is here.

SUSTAINABILITY IN SUPPLY NETWORKS 

Sustainability in supply networks is essential for mitigating environmental impacts and maintaining economic viability, especially in light of stricter global environmental regulations. For India, promoting sustainable manufacturing is critical to leveraging its demographic dividend and ensuring competitiveness in a global market. Current supply networks in manufacturing are often unsustainable, necessitating the integration of state-of-the-art, low-carbon technologies.

This research aims to assess and improve sustainability in manufacturing supply networks through a four-part framework. First, a life cycle assessment (LCA) framework was developed to identify environmental impact hotspots in supply networks. Tested through four case studies—paracetamol tablets, rice-based pudding (kheer), bio-implants, and hair dryers—the framework effectively pinpointed and addressed these hotspots with proposed green interventions, validated by simulating supply network reconfigurations.

Second, a software tool was created to recommend appropriate green interventions for identified hotspots, addressing a gap in existing literature that lacks a comprehensive collection of such solutions. Third, a method was devised to rank and prioritize green interventions using an interpretive structure modeling approach, helping organizations focus on the most impactful solutions.

The fourth component addresses barriers to sustainability implementation and identifies drivers to overcome them. A hybrid framework combining fuzzy analytical hierarchy processes and performance ranking methods allows organizations to rank these drivers and accelerate green intervention adoption.

Together, this comprehensive framework provides manufacturing organizations with tools for sustainability assessment, green intervention selection, prioritization, and barrier resolution. By integrating these steps, companies can reduce environmental impacts, align with stringent regulations, and enhance global competitiveness. Sustainability managers can utilize the framework to systematically implement and optimize green interventions, ensuring long-term environmental, economic, and social benefits in their supply networks.