The purpose of this paper is to investigate the contributions of successful TPM initiatives to competitive manufacturing. It also seeks to critically examine implications of strategic TPM implementation initiatives in Indian manufacturing organizations. Design/methodology/approach - A reasonably large number of manufacturing organizations with successful experience of TPM initiatives have been surveyed to assess the contributions of strategic TPM practices to accruing manufacturing competencies. The study involves working out the correlations between various TPM success factors and manufacturing competencies for extracting contributions of significant factors towards realization of manufacturing competencies. Findings - It was found that mere adoption of TPM initiatives does not lead organizations to garner strategic manufacturing competencies. The study highlights that holistic TPM initiatives have a significant impact on the realization of strategic manufacturing competencies in organizations. These interrelationships can be used to understand the effect of various TPM success factors on the realization of an organization's objectives of growth and sustainability. Research limitations/implications - The study has been conducted to develop an understanding of contributions of TPM initiatives towards building manufacturing competencies in the Indian manufacturing industry. The study investigates manufacturing performance achievements accrued through strategic TPM success factors in the Indian manufacturing industry. Practical implications - The study identifies the impact of key TPM success factors on organizational performance and highlights the need for successfully managing TPM programmes for establishing sustained maintenance improvement initiatives. Originality/value - The paper stresses the need for strategically managing TPM programmes successfully in organizations in order to realize the true potential of TPM practices for meeting global competition. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]