Total productive maintenance (TPM) is a very powerful program of equipment
maintenance in manufacturing industries and is a direct part of total quality management (TQM).
In the manufacturing industry, TPM is a very effective tool for improving product quality as well as
productivity. A good number of manufacturing industries have so far adopted a TPM program in
countries like Japan, as a part of their quality drive. However, in many manufacturing industries
in India it has not been successfully implemented. For successful and effective implementation of TPM
in manufacturing industries in India, understanding and awareness of the various possible causes
behind its failure is essential. This paper aims to address this issue.