<p>The relationship between gamification in solid waste management and Quality of Life (QoL) has been sparsely explored. We formulate and assess a benchmarking model using the Total Interpretive Structural Modelling (TISM) methodology. The key driving factors in operationalizing gamified waste management practices in urban Indian contexts are identified. The study employs a consensus-building Delphi approach, involving five expert interviews, to complete an interpretive questionnaire. The interviewees were stakeholders from academia and industry. The outcomes revealed that game-based performance metrics and behavioural gamification frameworks, as well as play-based incentives, emerged as the focal predictors. Interactive feedback systems, social influence with trust, and multi-criteria simulations were identified as the linkage dimensions, while gamified waste modelling served as the criterion dimension. Integrating gamification into waste management systems to improve QoL into the broader benefits of urban communities and environmental sustainability is suggested. This research will aid in understanding the schema of drivers and their hierarchical scaffolding based on driving and dependence powers. Future studies can build on this research and strive to develop sustainable urban waste management systems. This study represents one of the first structured attempts to develop an interpretive model of gamification in solid waste management and its influence on quality of life in urban India. By identifying key drivers and constructing a benchmarking framework, the research makes a unique contribution to both academic discourse and practical policymaking.</p>