Indian supply chain ecosystem readiness assessment for Industry 4.0

Abstract

Purpose

The article analyses the current readiness of India to transform its supply chain ecosystem to smarter systems with Fourth Industrial Revolution.

Design/methodology/approach

The analysis is carried out in two stages. First, the readiness of India is assessed globally, and then the rate of transformation over the years and supporting policies are analyzed to understand the transformation potential. This analysis is done across nine identified macro factors namely government support, regulations, business environment, human resource, infrastructure, innovation capability, technological advancements, cybersecurity and digital awareness. The study combines empirical data from 2010 onwards with the strategic literature published by government bodies and institutions for analysis.

Findings

Results show that India's readiness is just above the global average with a score of 0.44 on a scale of 0–1 (most ready). Government and start-up culture are found to be leading transformation factors, while digital infrastructure, regulations and cybersecurity are most lacking areas.

Originality/value

This study is first of its kind to the best of our knowledge. The academic literature has not reported studies assessing Industry 4.0 readiness of supply chain ecosystem using macro factors for nations.

Citation

Tripathi, S. and Gupta, M. (2021), "Indian supply chain ecosystem readiness assessment for Industry 4.0", International Journal of Emerging Markets, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJOEM-08-2020-0983