Unpacking the Penetration Gap: Stakeholder Perspectives Behind Low Penetration of Sustainability Measurement Scheme Among Indian Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises

Despite global momentum toward sustainability assessment across organisations, Indian MSMEs exhibit the adoption rates of sustainability measurement scheme (SMS) at less than 0.5%—a penetration gap mostly unexplained in the existing literature. While literature does identify firm level adoption drivers in developed economies, none examine systemic penetration barriers in resource constrained emerging market SMEs. Drawing on stakeholder perspective, the research employed a rigorous review of literature followed by 27 semi‐structured interviews across various stakeholder groups including practitioners, policymakers, investors, consultants and academicians analysed via Gioia methodology to probe the factors behind such low uptake, thereby uncovering the strategic dilemma. The findings reveal that SMS adoption is primarily constrained by managerial cognitive barriers, followed by organisational readiness deficits and limited stakeholder demand, with operationalisation gaps further weakening implementation. Current diagnostic study holds a significant implication for policymakers, offering insights into program effectiveness and addressing existing challenges while also contributing to the broader literature on SMS adoption and implementation through multi‐stakeholder diagnosis of SMS adoption barriers, revealing significant perception gaps.