Prioritization of sites for micro, small, and medium enterprises in West Bengal: an integrated group decision-making strategy incorporating uncertainty

The selection of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) locations for entrepreneurs has become a complex and uncertain decision-making process due to their diverse and conflicting requirements. This research presents a multi-criteria group decision-making (MCGDM) approach by combining neutrosophic information with the Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) to solve the MSME location selection issue. Single-valued neutrosophic sets (SVNSs) are employed to rate the alternatives’ attributes and the weight of decision-makers’ (DMs) quality based on their designation, experience, and qualifications. The collective assessment of the DMs is calculated using the single-valued weighted average operator, consolidating the DMs’ opinions on the attributes and their respective significance. The Method based on the Removal Effects of Criteria is employed to ascertain the preference of characteristics from the combined evaluation to avoid subjectivity. The weighted combined decision matrix is computed by aggregating the combined assessment of DMs alongside the criteria weights. A numerical case study has been conducted for the ten promising MSME locations in West Bengal, India. Alternative decisions of the proposed approach indicate that low land costs, highway accessibility, and large areas with flexible zoning are critical factors in the location selection for MSMEs. The proposed approach is validated by comparing it with existing crisp and neutrosophic approaches.