Green Supply Chain Management Initiatives by IT Companies in India

TLDR: In this article, the authors used the case study approach to explore the green initiatives followed by the three major Indian IT companies to manage their supply chain and summarized the steps taken by these companies with respect to green manufacturing, green procurement, green packaging, recycling and e-waste management.

Abstract: Green Supply Chain Management (GrSCM), which integrates environmental thinking right from conceptualization and management of production, distribution and consumption to end-of-life management of the product, has become a growing concern for Indian industries. One of the most polluting industries, the Information Technology (IT) is generating alarming magnitude of e-waste which involves social and environmental hazards. This research paper uses the case study approach to explore the green initiatives followed by the three major Indian IT companies to manage their supply chain. The study summarizes the steps taken by these companies with respect to green manufacturing, green procurement, green packaging, recycling and e-waste management, that have helped them to make their supply chains more costefficient as well as environment-friendly. These green initiatives by the companies also distinguish them from their competitors and help them to improve their brand image. The paper also identifies some of the major challenges to the effective implementation of rules by the government and desired outcome of the green initiatives.