Strategic Barriers and Operational Risks in Sustainable Supply Chain Management in the Indian Context

Research on sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) has attracted increased attention in the recent years all over the world. Unlike an ordinary supply chain, sustainable supply chains confront two major hurdles in the planning as well as in the operational stage, namely barriers and risks. Barriers are usually associated with technical, economic, and marketing infeasibilities, whereas risks induce disruptions and uncertainties. These factors demotivate the organizations from adopting sustainable practices in supply chain operations. The chapter consolidates the significant barriers and risk factors influential in the current Indian business environment. The analysis is based on the expert survey conducted in the South Indian manufacturing sector. Furthermore, the above barriers are ranked utilizing the grey relational analysis method in an intuitionistic fuzzy setting. Finally, the effects of the risk factors induced by sustainable practices are also discussed to facilitate selection of proactive strategies for the success of sustainable business in India.