Total Quality Management in Indian SMEs: Challenges, Drivers, and Outcomes

  • Unique Paper ID: 175919
  • PageNo: 4626-4635
  • Abstract:
  • Total Quality Management (TQM) has emerged as a critical strategy for enhancing competitiveness, customer satisfaction, and operational efficiency across industries. While large organizations have widely adopted TQM practices, the implementation in Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) presents unique challenges and opportunities, particularly in the Indian context. This study investigates the extent, effectiveness, and barriers of TQM adoption among Indian SMEs. Using a mixed-method approach, including surveys and case studies, the research explores key quality dimensions such as leadership commitment, employee involvement, continuous improvement, and customer focus. Findings reveal that although awareness of TQM is growing among Indian SMEs, its application remains inconsistent due to constraints such as limited resources, lack of training, and inadequate infrastructure. However, successful case examples demonstrate that with tailored strategies and government support, SMEs can significantly benefit from TQM implementation. The study offers practical insights and recommendations for SMEs aiming to embed quality management into their organizational culture.

Copyright & License

Copyright © 2026 Authors retain the copyright of this article. This article is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

BibTeX

@article{175919,
        author = {Roopam Mittal and Saurabh Tege},
        title = {Total Quality Management in Indian SMEs: Challenges, Drivers, and Outcomes},
        journal = {International Journal of Innovative Research in Technology},
        year = {2025},
        volume = {11},
        number = {11},
        pages = {4626-4635},
        issn = {2349-6002},
        url = {https://ijirt.org/article?manuscript=175919},
        abstract = {Total Quality Management (TQM) has emerged as a critical strategy for enhancing competitiveness, customer satisfaction, and operational efficiency across industries. While large organizations have widely adopted TQM practices, the implementation in Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) presents unique challenges and opportunities, particularly in the Indian context. This study investigates the extent, effectiveness, and barriers of TQM adoption among Indian SMEs. Using a mixed-method approach, including surveys and case studies, the research explores key quality dimensions such as leadership commitment, employee involvement, continuous improvement, and customer focus. Findings reveal that although awareness of TQM is growing among Indian SMEs, its application remains inconsistent due to constraints such as limited resources, lack of training, and inadequate infrastructure. However, successful case examples demonstrate that with tailored strategies and government support, SMEs can significantly benefit from TQM implementation. The study offers practical insights and recommendations for SMEs aiming to embed quality management into their organizational culture.},
        keywords = {Total Quality Management (TQM), Small and Medium Enterprises, quality management},
        month = {April},
        }

Cite This Article

Mittal, R., & Tege, S. (2025). Total Quality Management in Indian SMEs: Challenges, Drivers, and Outcomes. International Journal of Innovative Research in Technology (IJIRT), 11(11), 4626–4635.

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