Green Supplier Selection using Integrated Novel Distance Measure and MARICA Method under q-Rung Orthopair Fuzzy Environment: A Case Study on Indian Railways Electrification

Sustainable and green practices remain highly effective for organizations in today’s market characterized by intense competition, risks, and challenges. Long-term success depends not only on business revenue or performance but also on selecting the right green supplier who meets environmental, economic, and social standards. This study aims to establish a systematic, sustainability-focused methodology for identifying the optimal green supplier, in accordance with the Government of India’s environmental and energy efficiency objectives. To achieve this, we introduced a novel generalized distance measure for q-Rung Orthopair Fuzzy Sets (q-ROFSs), which accounts for degrees of membership, non-membership, and hesitancy, regulated by the norm parameter α. We established that this measure fulfills essential properties. We extended the MAIRCA technique within the q-ROFS framework by integrating the proposed distance measure, which concurrently considers membership, non-membership, and hesitancy. The improved method systematically incorporates key features, such as comparing alternatives against ideal and anti-ideal solutions. A case study is assessed for ranking of green suppliers for the electrification projects of Indian Railways the proposed q-ROFS-based MAIRCA technique has been utilised. Basis on the criteria used in the strategy, it precisely identified the best suitable supplier by implementing various sustainability and performance criteria.