Purpose - Total quality management (TQM) has begun to influence national business systems and is widely seen as a "revolution" in management. TQM initiatives continuously search the needs of the customers and incorporate them in the organization on an ongoing basis. For this reason, the majority of research study has been undertaken in this field and is still going on across the world, especially in the developing countries, which are lagging behind in the implementation of TQM. Considering the above reasons, the purpose of this paper is to assess the awareness of TQM program in the Indian service industries. Design/methodology/approach - By means of a literature review and empirical data collected using a self-administered instrument distributed to select Indian service companies, the awareness of TQM was investigated. A total of 172 useable survey instruments were included for the final analysis. This study sample consisted of a group of selected Indian service companies from healthcare, information and communication technology (ICT), banking, and hospitality industries. The data were analyzed using graphical representation approach, descriptive statistical analysis, and correlation analysis. Findings - The analysis revealed the significance and usage of TQM in Indian service industries. The results also suggested that the Indian service industries are well aware of the TQM program, though more efforts need to be focused on implementing it properly, use of TQM models and frameworks, and continuously improving the ongoing TQM practices. Research limitations/implications - Indian service managers show a stronger familiarity with TQM concepts and practices and they believe that TQM is a way of guaranteeing high quality products and services. Therefore, service companies should invest in TQM, as this could help them to improve competitiveness in the marketplace. Further, the Indian service managers and practitioners must be more concerned about the maintenance of standards and take a more dynamic approach towards TQM, thus preparing their company more effective for future challenges. Practical implications - The result provided in this paper will help in understanding the TQM awareness in the Indian service sector as a whole and suggest some additional improvements in the knowledge of TQM to the managers of Indian service industries which could enhance the level of TQM implementation and hence, business performance. Originality/value - The assessment of TQM awareness in Indian service industries, along with the understanding of the concept of TQM, has been expanded in the literature on TQM in the Indian service industry.