Indra Kumar S

Results-driven Project Manager with expertise in manufacturing, operations, and project management. Passionate about creating value through process improvement, automation, and stakeholder coordination. Known for transforming broad briefs into tangible outcomes that drive growth and efficiency.

Work Experience

Consultant, Program/Product Management | Pickyourtrail | Chennai 

  • Directed a strategic process redesign, incorporating AI chatbots to streamline customer support, resulting in a 30% reduction in queries and a boost in customer satisfaction from 3.9 to 4.2.
  • Enhanced operational efficiency through targeted interventions, optimizing the end-to-end customer journey and reducing pre-trip support issues.

 

Project Manager, Project management | ITC Limited – Education and Stationary Product Business |  Chennai

Project Manager , Project Management

  • Restructured the export processes in cost evaluation and operations planning, delivering a 10x revenue growth from INR 4 Cr to INR 45 Cr in export category.
  • Spearheaded a brownfield factory expansion project worth INR 15 crores with an IRR of 15.2%, leading to 50% increase in production capacity and new capabilities for export orders.
  • Commissioned ITC’s inaugural in-house notebook production facility with an annual capacity of 20,000 tons, reducing the manufacturing cost by ~25%.
  • Led negotiations with machine OEMs, Achieving cost savings of INR 1.4 crores.
  • Minimized paper wastage and labour costs, saving INR 63 lakhs annually through new production technology.
  • Instituted a new quality parameter for printing, using a spectrometer, reducing the printing variations by ~20%.

Operations Manager.  Export and Institutional trade, Operations management

  • Synchronized with cross-functional teams (Sales, Supply Chain, Logistics, Procurement) for production planning, execution, and delivery of customized Classmate notebook orders across India and globally.
  • Managed a network of 24 contracted manufacturing units, consistently achieving a 97% order fulfilment rate and zero rejections, demonstrating a strong focus on quality and reliability.
  • Enhanced process optimization and automation, reducing lead time for order delivery by 5 days (~20% reduction in TAT).
  • Overhauled 500+ SKUs and 2500+ customizations annually.
  • Streamlined production planning and costing for export orders, reducing customer inquiry TAT by 3 days.

Operations Manager – E-commerce operations, Operations management

  • Collaborated with the Marketing team to set up a D2C e-commerce channel (classmateshop.com) for customized notebook orders with a capacity of 200 orders/day.
  • Established a manufacturing unit for customized notebooks and re-designed printing and processing of orders, reducing customer complaints by 50%.
  • Amplified production capacity by 5x to handle increased customized orders.

 

Assistant manufacturing manager, Manufacturing and Maintenance | PepsiCo India Pvt Ltd | Hyderabad

  • Managed high-efficiency production lines for hot-fill (Slice and Nimbooz) and bottled water (Aquafina), achieving 90+% net efficiency.
  • Optimized production processes, improving hot fill line throughput from 480 BPM to 600 BPM.
  • Assured 100% adherence to food quality standards, achieving an AIB score of 935, the highest among plants in India in 2018.
  • Pioneered as the site expert in blow moulding (PET bottles) and executed a raw material wastage reduction project, increasing pre-form yield by 5%.
Accomplishments
  • Progressed from Operations Manager to Project Manager at ITC within two years, consistently recognized for exceptional contributions to process improvements and export growth initiatives.
  • Awarded outstanding performance rating for strategic impact on ITC's export development and operational efficiency.
Education

Bachelor of Technology (Mechanical Engineering)
National Institute of Technology, Trichy

Certificates

Foundations of Project Management Google, Coursera

Co/Extra-curricular
  • Vertical Head- Placement Committee : Selected as Vertical Head through an interview process.
  • Stand-up Comedian: Delivered over 20 performances across Chennai, honing communication and audience engagement skills.
  • Flight Cadet at NCC: Completed two years of training with the Air Force wing, developing discipline and leadership skills.
  • Core Team Member at Pragyan (NIT Trichy’s Technical Fest): Organized workshops for a team of 30, showcasing project management and team coordination capabilities.
  • Completed 4 grades of certification in Plectrum Guitar from Trinity College of Music, London.

Quick Look

  • Work Experience: 6.5 Years
  • Previous Roles
    • Consultant, Program/Product Management ,Pickyourtrail, Chennai
    • Project Manager, ITC Limited 
    • Assistant manufacturing manager ,PepsiCo India Pvt Ltd, Hyderabad
  • Function : Operations/Logistics/Supply Chain
    Project/Program Management
  • Industry/Sector: FMCG/CPG
    Manufacturing & Engineering
Work Experience

Consultant, Program/Product Management | Pickyourtrail | Chennai 

  • Directed a strategic process redesign, incorporating AI chatbots to streamline customer support, resulting in a 30% reduction in queries and a boost in customer satisfaction from 3.9 to 4.2.
  • Enhanced operational efficiency through targeted interventions, optimizing the end-to-end customer journey and reducing pre-trip support issues.

 

Project Manager, Project management | ITC Limited – Education and Stationary Product Business |  Chennai

Project Manager , Project Management

  • Restructured the export processes in cost evaluation and operations planning, delivering a 10x revenue growth from INR 4 Cr to INR 45 Cr in export category.
  • Spearheaded a brownfield factory expansion project worth INR 15 crores with an IRR of 15.2%, leading to 50% increase in production capacity and new capabilities for export orders.
  • Commissioned ITC’s inaugural in-house notebook production facility with an annual capacity of 20,000 tons, reducing the manufacturing cost by ~25%.
  • Led negotiations with machine OEMs, Achieving cost savings of INR 1.4 crores.
  • Minimized paper wastage and labour costs, saving INR 63 lakhs annually through new production technology.
  • Instituted a new quality parameter for printing, using a spectrometer, reducing the printing variations by ~20%.

Operations Manager.  Export and Institutional trade, Operations management

  • Synchronized with cross-functional teams (Sales, Supply Chain, Logistics, Procurement) for production planning, execution, and delivery of customized Classmate notebook orders across India and globally.
  • Managed a network of 24 contracted manufacturing units, consistently achieving a 97% order fulfilment rate and zero rejections, demonstrating a strong focus on quality and reliability.
  • Enhanced process optimization and automation, reducing lead time for order delivery by 5 days (~20% reduction in TAT).
  • Overhauled 500+ SKUs and 2500+ customizations annually.
  • Streamlined production planning and costing for export orders, reducing customer inquiry TAT by 3 days.

Operations Manager – E-commerce operations, Operations management

  • Collaborated with the Marketing team to set up a D2C e-commerce channel (classmateshop.com) for customized notebook orders with a capacity of 200 orders/day.
  • Established a manufacturing unit for customized notebooks and re-designed printing and processing of orders, reducing customer complaints by 50%.
  • Amplified production capacity by 5x to handle increased customized orders.

 

Assistant manufacturing manager, Manufacturing and Maintenance | PepsiCo India Pvt Ltd | Hyderabad

  • Managed high-efficiency production lines for hot-fill (Slice and Nimbooz) and bottled water (Aquafina), achieving 90+% net efficiency.
  • Optimized production processes, improving hot fill line throughput from 480 BPM to 600 BPM.
  • Assured 100% adherence to food quality standards, achieving an AIB score of 935, the highest among plants in India in 2018.
  • Pioneered as the site expert in blow moulding (PET bottles) and executed a raw material wastage reduction project, increasing pre-form yield by 5%.
Accomplishments
  • Progressed from Operations Manager to Project Manager at ITC within two years, consistently recognized for exceptional contributions to process improvements and export growth initiatives.
  • Awarded outstanding performance rating for strategic impact on ITC's export development and operational efficiency.
Education

Bachelor of Technology (Mechanical Engineering)
National Institute of Technology, Trichy

Certificates

Foundations of Project Management Google, Coursera

Co/Extra-curricular
  • Vertical Head- Placement Committee : Selected as Vertical Head through an interview process.
  • Stand-up Comedian: Delivered over 20 performances across Chennai, honing communication and audience engagement skills.
  • Flight Cadet at NCC: Completed two years of training with the Air Force wing, developing discipline and leadership skills.
  • Core Team Member at Pragyan (NIT Trichy’s Technical Fest): Organized workshops for a team of 30, showcasing project management and team coordination capabilities.
  • Completed 4 grades of certification in Plectrum Guitar from Trinity College of Music, London.