Exploring Sustainable Innovation in Manufacturing: A Study of Small and Medium Enterprises in Kamrup (Metro), Assam: A Systematic Review

DOI

10.2991/978-2-38476-533-1_5How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Sustainable Manufacturing; SMEs; Innovation Strategies; Assam

Abstract

Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) play a very important role in promoting economic development and generating employment especially in emerging economies in India like Assam. As Global attention shifts increasingly towards sustainability, these businesses are being challenged to adopt various innovative practices that balance profitability and promote environmental responsibility as well as social well-being. This review specially examines SMEs in Kamrup (Metro) district in Assam with the objective of assessing the degree to which they implement innovation in sustainable manufacturing. The study highlights four forms of innovation-Product, Process, Organizational and Marketing while evaluating their collective influence on financial, social and environmental sustainability. The analysis indicates that noteworthy progress has been achieved in product and process innovations, which have helped firms improve their efficiency, reduce operational costs and buildup competitiveness. However, organizational and marketing innovations are still not put to good use, thereby limiting the ability of SMEs to achieve complete sustainability goals. Of the three dimensions of sustainability, financial performance tends to receive the most attention, as enterprises prioritize cost savings and profitability. Conversely, social and environmental sustainability often remain secondary concerns, hindered by limited resources, insufficient awareness, and inadequate infrastructure. The review stresses the importance of joint action among policymakers, industry bodies, and entrepreneurs to create a supportive environment for innovation. Initiatives such as skill development programs, financial support mechanisms, and collaborative platforms could accelerate the adoption of sustainability-driven strategies. aligning innovation with local market dynamics and engaging diverse stakeholders is essential for ensuring long-term, inclusive growth. Future studies should broaden the perspective by conducting empirical research, industry-specific analyses, and regional comparisons to design replicable and scalable models of innovation for SMEs.

Copyright

© 2025 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Dipak Jain
AU  - Rajdeep Nag
AU  - Sinmoy Goswami
AU  - Ananya Banik
AU  - Richika Kedia
PY  - 2025
DA  - 2025/12/31
TI  - Exploring Sustainable Innovation in Manufacturing: A Study of Small and Medium Enterprises in Kamrup (Metro), Assam: A Systematic Review
BT  - Proceedings of the International Conference on Smart Systems and Social Management (ICSSSM-2 2025)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 43
EP  - 61
SN  - 2352-5398
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-38476-533-1_5
DO  - 10.2991/978-2-38476-533-1_5
ID  - Jain2025
ER  -