Enabling the Ambitious ZED Target Initiative of the Government of India Through CLAG Operations

Abstract

The ZED (Zero Defect Zero Effect) programme introduced by the Indian government in 2014 aims to achieve defect-free and environment-friendly operations in MSMEs (medium, small and micro enterprises). It helps them derive benefits from the global markets. However, the ZED programme has not achieved its objectives despite the government’s effort to provide support in terms of education, training and guidance. There are just 304 ZED-certified MSMEs out of more than 60 million in India. This article advocates a blended approach that involves a combination of clean, lean and green (CLAG) operations, which has the potential to achieve the ZED target as demonstrated by many applications across the industries. Adopting the Six Sigma technique in manufacturing industries is discussed, which can deliver output with a defect rate close to zero. Usually, the CLAG approaches have been applied across different organizations individually. However, the proposed approach recommends a combination to seek superior benefits. The article provides evidence from secondary sources to justify the application of the proposed blended approach. The blended conceptual model will help enterprises achieve improved quality, reduce waste and lower environmental damage.