From Efficiency to Excellence: Redefining Competitiveness with the Global Competitiveness Manufacturing Framework (GCMF)

In an exclusive interview with Industry Outlook, Amit Dutta, Director & Principal Consultant, advanced business management services,  discusses The Global Competitiveness Manufacturing Framework ( GCMF) is accelerating transformation and development in Indian manufacturing through platforms for workforce up skilling, innovation, digitalization, smart factories, and environmentally sustainable practices. It is equipped with SMEs and large organizations for global competitiveness, supply chain resiliency, and Industry 4.0 readiness. 

With Indian manufacturers facing global cost and quality benchmarks, how is Global Competitiveness Manufacturing Framework adoption helping them shift from efficiency-focused models to holistic competitiveness and operational excellence?  

Every business prioritizes expansion and financial success. Growth is anticipated from both international markets and domestic consumption in India. Maintaining consistent performance in terms of delivery, cost, and quality is crucial for success in international markets.  The strategy for accomplishing this should be to adopt a framework of overall excellence rather than relying solely on efficiency-specific, short-term measures. Creating consistent results over time is emphasized by this framework. In this case, consistency results in improved quality and decreased waste in a variety of manufacturing processes. This entails avoiding high inventory levels, cutting back on overproduction, cutting back on needless transportation, and efficiently managing inventory. These problems are fully addressed by an overall excellence framework. It emphasizes automation, efficient use of labor and resources, ongoing innovation, and research investment.

Which specific pillars of the GCMF are proving most difficult for Indian SMEs to implement amid digital transformation and cost constraints?  

From an industry perspective, it is clear that every pillar will encounter challenges. However, the most immediate priority lies in preparing the workforce, as talent and workforce readiness form the foundation of industrial growth. This readiness must begin with targeted training and up skilling initiatives.  Beyond training, the industry recognizes that innovation and R&D will increasingly be driven by entrepreneurship. It is important to promote young professionals with innovative mindsets to take entrepreneurial careers instead of conventional careers. This culture is imperative for promoting the commercialization of technology. Under such circumstances, entrepreneurship and successful commercialization of technology will be prime drivers of innovation and R&D.  In addition, the sector needs to move towards smart factories from traditional manufacturing systems. These future manufacturing setups will take advantage of IoT, robotics, and real-time analytics to optimize production and logistics and make the processes more efficient and responsive.  For industry stakeholders, workforce readiness, fostering entrepreneurship for innovation, and embracing smart manufacturing technologies should remain top priorities to ensure sustained competitiveness and growth. 

 How is Indian manufacturing leaders aligning GCMF with existing lean and Six Sigma systems to create integrated frameworks for continuous performance improvement? 

From an industry perspective, the government programs to promote lean and continual improvement practices in the SME sector have been a critical enabler of improvements to operational activities. First introduced in 2015 and refreshed again in 2023 with a more comprehensive package, the improved programs have encouraged many SME organizations to register and to use Lean and Six Sigma practices with the aim of improving efficiency for quality and productivity gain. The industry sees the Global Competitiveness Manufacturing Framework (GCMF) as a logical next step beyond Lean Six Sigma, and to build upon the Lean principles noted in previous reports. Moreover, GCMF is seen as a strategic direction for SME organizations to institutionalized collaborative improvement practices which promote competitiveness, and ultimately, sustainable growth on a domestic and global platform.

 In what ways does GCMF address India-specific challenges such as skill shortages, supply chain volatility, and inconsistent infrastructure across manufacturing clusters?  

There is an abundance of engineering graduates being produced by many colleges around the country. This has created a large number of educated and technically qualified individuals that are available in the work force. The challenge now will be to effectively channel this talent towards developing the skills necessary for Industry 4.0. Determining how to bridge this gap will be a critical step to engage the technical workforce with the new demands of the technology-rich and rapidly changing manufacturing environments.

How are industry bodies and government-led programs supporting GCMF adoption across Tier 2 and Tier 3 manufacturing hubs to close competitiveness gaps at the national level? 

 The automotive industry is particularly indicative of a sector that has been able to grow and take the next leap forward, with considerable support from the government for well-designed initiatives. There has been great movement in this sector, convincingly showcasing that structured, targeted support along with structured direction can have real effects. In terms of industry, if we can do the same support at the grassroots, especially at the level of SMEs, it would be a big win for the tier 2 and tier 3 manufacturers also. As SMEs are the backbone of manufacturing, supporting them would only strengthen India's industrial base as a whole and subsequently increase our competitiveness as a nation. 

As global supply chains evolve, how will GCMF-enabled capabilities help Indian manufacturers reposition themselves as high-value partners in next-gen manufacturing ecosystems? 

From an industry perspective, the Global Competitiveness Manufacturing Framework (GCMF) is considered a comprehensive approach to upgrading future manufacturing capabilities across multiple dimensions. One of the focus areas within the GCMF is talent and workforce readiness. The industry is expecting to up skill and the current workforce in order to align talent with the labor force needs of advanced manufacturing and Industry 4.0 technologies. Simultaneously, innovation and research and development (R&D) will be sustained by stimulating entrepreneurship and technology commercialization. GCMF promotes building an ecosystem that develops startups that will evolve the entire manufacturing value chain process through innovation at all levels of the value chain. Infrastructure and digital connectivity are also components of the framework. The industry is moving towards smart factories that include IoT technologies with fully developed logistics networks that will support streamlined operations which respond in real-time. Equally important is the effort to build supply chain resilience. The manufacturing industry is focusing on agility and resilience by adapting their supply chains to geopolitical events and external disruptions with an eye toward minimizing uncertainty on a global scale. In addition to the above areas, sustainability and ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) are growing metrics for measurement. The manufacturing industry is using green manufacturing and circular economy practices to produce long-term environmental responsible policies and behaviors as the manufacturing processes and define compliance or regulatory activities. 

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GCMF also emphasizes the integration of physical machinery with digital control systems. Sensors and connected devices collect real-time data across the factory floor, while advanced algorithms analyze this data to enable predictive maintenance, process optimization, and real-time decision-making. Virtual replicas (digital twins) of physical systems support simulation and diagnostics, and augmented reality (AR) tools enhance worker productivity and safety.  Collectively, these strategic pillars of GCMF are positioning the manufacturing sector to be competitive, sustainable, and resilient in the face of future challenges.