IILM Institute for Higher Education

ABSTRACT The growing emphasis on sustainability, driven by increased customer awareness and shifting consumer needs, has fundamentally impacted corporate buying methods. Concurrently, the rapid expansion of Industry 4.0 technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), blockchain, and artificial intelligence (AI) altered production systems by increasing their cognitive ability and adaptability, influencing production operations and strategic supplier selection decisions. Motivated by these imperatives, the current study proposes a comprehensive hybrid framework for evaluating supplier performance and developing supplier skills within an integrated sustainability and Industry 4.0 environment. The proposed framework is made up of four sequential methodological steps. The fuzzy Delphi method (FDM) first identifies and validates critical supplier assessment criteria through structured expert elicitation. Second, a hybrid fuzzy analytic hierarchy process and fuzzy technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution (FAHP‐FTOPSIS) framework computes criteria significance weights, with quality, price and delivery performance receiving the most weight; subsequently, it assesses and prioritises supplier performance. Third, multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) categorises suppliers into high‐ and low‐performing groups, with employee welfare, price, R&D, agility, delivery performance, green and smart technology and social responsibility being the most significant inter‐group performance distinguishers. Fourth, a sensitivity study with nine weight perturbation scenarios shows strong ranking stability (Spearman's ρ = 0.9273–0.9758; mean ρ = 0.9502), highlighting the framework's robustness and data‐driven nature. The findings establish an empirical foundation for targeted supplier development programs and benchmarking approaches. The framework is empirically validated through a real‐world case study within an Indian electronic retail supply chain.

ABSTRACT This paper examines India's selective participation in the Indo‐Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) through the lens of strategic autonomy and hedging theory. Specifically, we investigate the following: Why does India engage selectively with IPEF pillars rather than committing fully, and what factors explain this calibrated approach? Using a framework that identifies external geopolitical pressures, economic interdependence with China, domestic political economy constraints, and normative preferences for autonomy as key determinants, the study analyzes India's decision to join three of the four IPEF pillars while maintaining observer status in trade negotiations. Our findings reveal that India's selective engagement represents a deliberate hedging strategy designed to maximize economic benefits from US‐led regional integration while preserving policy flexibility in relations with China and protecting domestic stakeholders. This approach reflects broader tensions facing middle powers in navigating great power competition and demonstrates how strategic autonomy functions as both constraint and enabler in contemporary economic diplomacy.

Abstract While many of the large organizations have committed to circularity in a precise and measurable way, few are re-evaluating their whole business strategy. In order to achieve this, one must visualize the future and, more crucially, how profits will be earned. It is critical to talk about revenue generation in order to build a sustainable business. In fact, it is probable that circular economy models are already at work and are having an unintentional circular effect of it. It is important to remember that not all firms are “fully circular” or rather very few are. Every business starts from a different place and grows its circularity moving forward. This conceptual paper examines the kind of revenue models a circular business can adopt. It gives a holistic approach for enhancing financial resilience and mindful consumption in organizations for persistent success in a constantly changing world. Its aim is to enable practitioners and academicians to understand revenue management based on the strategy of the organization. As per the aim of the book, this chapter will encourage greater understanding and linkage between the circular economy and revenue model in different types of sustainable businesses.

Abrasive wear has a significant impact on both the efficiency of the tilling tool and the quality of the finished product. The primary objective of this study was to determine the optimal values for the influencing parameters of wear in conventional rotavator blades while operating in real-world situations. Mild steel rotavator blade c Type) It is used for the investigation. Experimentation has been conducted to evaluate the effect of load and distance (tillage area) on the wear of the base material. Field tests have been used to examine and calculate the wear on the blades. The Taguchi L9 orthogonal array was used for the design of experiments. Wear performance in terms of weight loss of blades was examined after a fixed interval of time. A significant wear rate was observed through the field test run. Distance shows a predominant effect on the wear of blades as compared to uniform load. It was concluded that the greater the tillage area, the higher the weight loss. As a result, key factor that have a significant impact on the wear of the blade was identified as tillage distance (70.46) as compared to load (44.81). Standard deviation was found as 1.031. The sensitivity analysis confirms the findings from optimization, which further deals with substantial improvements in the operational life of rotavator blades.

In this study, the rheological feature of bottom ash-water slurry was investigated by using NaCl as an additive. The additive was added into the bottom ash suspension with proportions of 0.2, 0.4, and 0.6% (by weight). The range of solid concentration in the suspension varied from 10 to 60 % (by weight). When compared to the normal condition or without additive, the addition of NaCl results in a very obvious reduction in the apparent viscosity of the solution. The addition of 0.4% additive shows good agreement with the reduction of energy consumption as compared to the rest of the range of velocities. Because of the reduction in energy consumption, the required pump power decreased up to a remarkable limit of approximately 20%. Sensitivity analysis demonstrates that increasing NaCl concentration reduces apparent viscosity, pressure drop, and specific energy consumption, leading to improved flow efficiency. According to the findings of the investigation, the suspension of bottom ash slurry described in the above manner has the potential to be transported in a slurry pipeline using the least amount of energy.