The purpose of the study is to examine the impact of green supply chain management (GSCM) on sustainable performance (SP) in manufacturing SMEs in developing countries. This model also attempts to investigate mediated moderation analysis in the presence of green knowledge sharing as a mediator and big data analytics capability powered by artificial intelligence (BDAI-AI) as a moderator. The data was collected through an online survey method from the manufacturing SMEs. Of the sample of 843, 469 responses were properly filled out and considered valid responses for further analysis. The PLS-SEM approach has been used for analysis using the latest version of SmartPLS-4.1.0.2. The findings revealed that all the directly proposed hypotheses have a positive and significant impact on SP in manufacturing SMEs in Pakistan. However, GKM confirmed a higher impact with a higher beta value as compared to others to obtain sustainability in manufacturing SMEs. In addition, GKS, as a mediator, also supported partial mediation for achieving sustainability. Lastly, BDAC-AI has also confirmed a moderating role in SP. This study leverages the resource-based view (RBV) and knowledge-based view (KBV) to strengthen the research's contribution to the body of knowledge and provides a more robust foundation for obtaining sustainable development in manufacturing SMEs. Moreover, empirical findings provide valuable insights for policymakers in developing countries, emphasizing the importance of integrating these constructs into future policies to foster sustainable development within manufacturing SMEs. These empirical findings advise policymakers on manufacturing SMEs in developing countries. They must consider these variables in future policies for better results