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India liberalized its economy in 1991, which resulted in intense global competition, quality-conscious and demanding customers. Additionally, significant technological advancements lead to enhancements in products and processes. These forced Indian organizations to adopt innovative business strategies in the past 30 years. Meanwhile, the Lean Six Sigma methodology has significantly grown with vast applicability during the past 30 years. Thus, the purpose of this study is to develop the learning on Lean Six Sigma methodology in the Indian context through investigation of literature.

A three-stage systematic literature review approach was adopted to investigate the literature during the present study. In total, 187 articles published in 62 journals/conference proceedings from 2005 to 2022 (18 years) were shortlisted. The first part of the article summarizes the significant milestones towards the quality journey in the Indian context, along with the evolution of the Lean Six Sigma methodology. The second part examines the shortlisted papers on Lean Six Sigma frameworks, their applicability in industrial sectors, performance metrics, outcomes realized, publication trends, authorship patterns and leading researchers from the Indian perspective.

Lean Six Sigma has emerged as a highly acclaimed and structured business improvement strategy worldwide. The Indian economy has seen remarkable growth in the past decade and is one of the fastest-growing economies in the 21st century. Lean Six Sigma implementation in India has significantly increased from 2014 onward. The study revealed that researchers have proposed several different frameworks for Lean Six Sigma implementation, the majority of which are conceptual. Furthermore, the balanced applicability of Lean Six Sigma in manufacturing and service sectors was observed with the highest implementation in the health-care sector. Additionally, the widely adopted tools, techniques along with performance metrics exploring case studies were reported along with a summary of eminent and leading researchers in the Indian context.

This study is confined to reviewed papers as per the research criteria with a significant focus on the Indian context and might have missed some papers due to the adopted papers selection strategy.

The present study is one of the initial attempts to investigate the literature published on Lean Six Sigma in the Indian context, including perspective on the Indian quality movement. Therefore, the present study will provide an understanding of Lean Six Sigma methodology in the Indian context to graduating students in engineering and management and entry-level executives. The analysis and findings on Lean Six Sigma frameworks, research approach, publications details, etc., will be helpful to potential research scholars and academia. Additionally, analysis of case studies on Lean Six Sigma implementation by Indian industries will assist the managers and professionals in decision making.

With an emphasis on spatial health disparities, this study examines how COVID-19 has affected healthcare access and inequality in India. The study developed the Healthcare Access Index (HAI) and Healthcare Inequality Index (HII) to assess the pandemic’s effects on healthcare. The study addresses spatial health disparities in healthcare access and inequality, filling gaps in the literature. The final aim of the study is to offer policy suggestions to lessen healthcare inequities in India, particularly in the context of COVID-19.

The study incorporates secondary data from publicly accessible databases such as the National Family Health Survey, Niti-Ayog and Indian Census databases and employs a quantitative research design. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare access and healthcare inequality in India is examined using the HAI and the HII. The five dimensions of healthcare access – availability, accessibility, accommodation, cost and acceptability – were used in developing the HAI. The study uses a panel data analysis methodology to examine the HAI and HII scores for 19 states over the pre-COVID-19 (2015) and post-COVID-19 (2020) periods. In order to investigate the connection between healthcare access, healthcare inequality and the COVID-19 pandemic, the analysis employs statistical tests such as descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, factor analysis and visualization analysis.

According to the study, COVID-19 impacted healthcare access and inequality in India, with notable regional inequalities between states. The pandemic has increased healthcare disparities by widening the gap between states with high and low HII ratings. Healthcare access is closely tied to healthcare inequality, with lower levels of access being associated with more significant levels of inequality. The report advises governmental initiatives to lessen healthcare disparities in India, such as raising healthcare spending, strengthening healthcare services in underperforming states and enhancing healthcare infrastructure.

For Indian healthcare authorities and practitioners, the study has significant ramifications. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a main focus on addressing geographic gaps in healthcare access and inequality. The report suggests upgrading transportation infrastructure, lowering out-of-pocket costs, increasing health insurance coverage and enhancing healthcare infrastructure and services in underperforming states. The HAI and the HII are tools that policymakers can use to identify states needing immediate attention and appropriately spend resources. These doable recommendations provide a framework for lowering healthcare disparities in India and enhancing healthcare outcomes for all communities.

The study’s originality resides in establishing the HAI and HII indices, using panel data analysis and assessing healthcare inequality regarding geographic disparities. Policy choices targeted at lowering healthcare disparities and enhancing healthcare outcomes for all people in India can be informed by the study’s practical consequences.

The world is on the verge of entering the deglobalization age, and industrialized economies have ushered it in. However, there is still a scarcity of comprehensive and rigorous studies in this field. This research has tried to analyze the evolution and characteristics of deglobalization research.

The authors have employed bibliometric analysis for examining the existing evidence on accelerating deglobalization thinking based on a thorough analysis of articles published during a roughly 25-year span between 1996 and 2022. This study has used the TISM-P technique to study the relationship among the factors accelerating deglobalization thinking. This research reviews the articles on several dimensions of deglobalization using the “what”, “why”, “how”, “who”, “when” and “where” approaches.

The authors specify the critical factors, policy reforms, approaches and observed characteristics explored in this developing research area.

The authors have analyzed the factors accountable for rising deglobalization thinking and also suggested strategic recommendations based on the findings to minimize the adverse impact of globalization.

Although there is a wealth of literature on globalization, very little study has been done in the field of deglobalization. This is the first substantive review being done in the deglobalization domain. The contemporary research has used the bibliometric approach and the “5W and 1 H” framework to gain a comprehensive understanding of the changing paradigm.