Ankit Kumar
Noida
Summary
Results-driven professional with a strong foundation in sourcing and product development processes. Drives collaboration with cross-functional teams to align product offerings with market demands and consumer trends. Cultivates relationships with suppliers to enhance sourcing capabilities and reduce costs.
Overview
15
15
years of professional experience
Work History
Shoe Technician (Development & Commercialization)
Designer Brands India
03.2025 - Current
- Leading the footwear sourcing & development FOR DBI.
- Looking the new product development, last development and moulds development.
- Dealing with the mould makers, last makers, material suppliers across the would as well as domestic for the new development and further for production.
- Coordinating with US buyers for the new development and assign the factories for the same accordingly in India as per their expertise.
- Negotiating the cost with the various factories and close the costing as per the target cost.
- Vendor management (shoe factories as well as raw materials suppliers)
- Monitoring all the product technicalities, last technicalities & ensure the all the developments, fit & outlook before send to US.
- Ensure the CFMs, fitting, size set, Pre-production, mass productions & final inspection before releasing from the factory to store.
- Maintain all the related reports in INSPECTORIO and submit the same to US after the execution.
- Closely work with US design team for developments and materials.
- Proficiently discussing with the Global Technical Head the aspects of fit, last, and materials.
- Administer the factories in production and ascertain the quality of the shoes by carrying out AQL inspections on a daily basis. Moreover, monitor all checkpoints at the cutting, closing, and lasting stages.
- Direct the vendors and commence the development as per their area of expertise.
- Designer Brands is one of the world's largest designers, producers and retailers of the most recognizable footwear brands and accessories, transforming and defining the footwear industry through a mission of being shoe-obsessed. They have the brands like HUSH PUPPIES, VINCE CAMUTO, LUCKY BRAND etc.
Product Developer (Footwear)
TEMPE INDITEX INDIA Group
07.2024 - 02.2025
- Leading the footwear sourcing & development of the INDITEX Brands in India (Zara, Bershka, Pull & Bear, Oysho & Masimmo Dutti)
- Monitoring all the product technicalities, last technicalities & ensure the all the developments, fit & outlook before send to Spain.
- Ensure the CFMs, Grading, Pre-production, mass productions & final inspection before releasing from the factory to store.
- Maintain all the related reports in TEPME PRODUCTION TOOL and submit the same to Spain after the execution.
- Coordinating with Spain buyers for all the developments via TEMPE DEVELOPMENT TOOL software and get the product development from the audited factories.
- Get the developments on time by regularly coordination with the factories, get implements all the buyer's our inputs in the product and developing a decent product range as per the Spain's requirements.
- Executing the fit trials with approved model at all the stages of developments & production & mark the comments to factory for improvement in next stage of development.
- Developing the materials from Indian manufacturers by taking care of the various norms of ZARA like, sustainability, traceability & the audit norms.
- Zara is a fashion retail subsidiary of the Spanish multinational fashion design, manufacturing, and retailing group Inditex.
Deputy Manager (Footwear Buying/Sourcing)
Aditya Birla Fashion & Retail Ltd.
09.2021 - 07.2024
- Leading the footwear buying, sourcing & development of the private labels (Ajile, Byford, Forever Glam & Pantaloons Junior) for North region.
- Quarterly footwear development in accordance to timelines and price brackets required.
- Cost negotiation and have worked on Open cost and vendor management.
- Maintain the OTIF of complete footwear & hand bags category in North region.
- Doing range presentation for every season development and proceed the product as per the comments and suggestions.
- Lead the bulk buying, processing orders with in the given OTB.
- Manage and uphold the quality standards across buying in order to ensure the product standards and customer expectations are maintained and met respectively.
- Analyze the MIS reports based on actual sales and replenishments if required.
- Develop, negotiate and manage overseas vendors related to costs, quality & delivery dates.
- Responsible to place the orders/deliveries to vendors as per OTB budget.
- Driving the entire BIS process and updates, solutions, coordinating with BIS labs for the product testing & assessment report.
- Review sales results regularly and develop the products accordingly.
- Proactively communicate strategies to leadership and cross-functional teams to allow for appropriate planning and execution.
- Constantly analyze general fashion trends, style/fit nuances, new and emerging brands and retailers.
- Responsible for all the approvals like CFM, PP, size set, shipment materials last, fittings, patterns and other manufacturing and their SOP.
- Responsible to pilot production, size set, MST, EST & FSR approvals.
- Monitoring all the materials and product information, last fitting, size fitting.
- Complete range presentation to the management with price point and trends.
- Taking care of the new developments as per the current fashion and colors and provide inputs/concept accordingly.
- Monitoring all the costing parameters, negotiating the best cost to achieve the good PCMRP %age.
- New materials development by various raw material suppliers.
- Develop the supplier's manufacturing skills as per our quality parameter.
- Responsible for all kind of test reports and make sure that not a single material will consider in production without test report.
- ABFRL is a part of the Aditya Birla Group, a global conglomerate, in the league of Fortune 500. Anchored by an extraordinary force of over 140,000 employees, belonging to 100 nationalities, the Group is built on a strong foundation of stakeholder value creation.
Deputy Manager (Footwear Buying & Sourcing)
Freewill Sports Pvt. Ltd.
06.2018 - 09.2020
- Lead the complete product development, outsourcing and quality.
- Sourced the premium materials like PU, mesh, sole from the various international or domestic vendor base to make the product better for the players/general wearers.
- Regularly met with the various national & international players/para badminton players and developed the product as per their inputs and make the product better.
- Monitored all the commercialization, production and raw materials related approvals and improve the manufacturing proficiencies as well by implementing the new technologies and training sessions.
- Audit the factories, monitored the footwear/RM testing protocols and ensured 100% QC at inward point.
- NIVIA is a true Indian iconic sports brand involved in shaping the sports in the country. As the originator of breakthrough technologies, NIVIA manufactures world-class athletic equipment.
Executive (Sourcing- Domestic & International)
SSIPL Retail LTD.
01.2014 - 05.2018
- Monitored the procurement of footwear & it's raw materials from the domestic as well as international market for the premium brands like NIKE, PUMA, LOTTO & ASICS with the best cost negotiation.
- Also developed the imported material from the domestic manufacturers.
- Responsible from the initial stage of sampling to meet the OGAC date (final dispatch date).
- Managed suppliers to resolve missed deliveries, short shipments and pricing discrepancies.
- Vendor Management, new vendor development and improved vendor's efficiency.
- Monitored the export of NIKE, H&M footwear's as well by the various and nominated shipping lines to the global brand's destinations like Chile, Brazil, Auckland, Australia South Africa etc.
- Expertise to work with NIKE & ASICS DEVELOPMENT.
- Monitored & prepared the internal briefs, tech. files as per CAD of the footwear i.e. to give the information that which materials to be used in the shoe.
- Session wise planning & calendar making of the product timeline.
- Co-ordinate with the brand during the stages MST, EST, FSR trial, 2D design finalization for 1st pull over meet with buyer.
- Molds, Tools & zig design & model last development as per product requirement.
- Monitored the swatch books preparation as per the NIKE's requirement, having clearly mentioned the details of footwear raw materials/lamination process/vendor names & material specifications.
- SSIPL is a brand hub who is manufacturing & retailing the premium sports brands like NIKE, ASICS, PUMA& LOTTO.
Buying Executive (Market Places)
Bestylish.com
01.2012 - 12.2014
- Deal with the vendors for market place articles to increase the sales.
- Monitoring the entire operational process of the market place.
- Responsible for the order processing then worked over till the order distich to the customer.
- Keeping track of pricing difference, discount schemes and latest trends in competitor's website and maintaining stock report and management of inventories.
- Maintain & monitor the process of Deals/Promotions/Events on the Buyer's site for increase the sales promptly.
- Bestylish.com was an e-commerce company having premium range of footwear& accessories.
Education
Post Graduate Diploma - Footwear Technology
Footwear Design & Development Institute
Noida, India06-2012
Masters in Sciences - Footwear Technology
IGNOU
06-2012
Bachelors in Sciences - Physics & Electronics
Allahabad University
Prayagraj06-2010
MBA - International Business
IMT GHAZIABAD
04-2018
Secondary & Sr. Secondary - Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics
Central School
Prayagraj01-2007
Skills
- GLOBAL SOURCING
- BUYING
- PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
- CATEGORY MANAGEMENT
Custom
- Listening to music
- Playing table tennis
Personal Information
- Father's Name: Mr. Ram Chandra Jaiswal
- Mother's Name: Mrs. Uma Rani Jaiswal
Timeline
Shoe Technician (Development & Commercialization)
Designer Brands India
03.2025 - Current
Product Developer (Footwear)
TEMPE INDITEX INDIA Group
07.2024 - 02.2025
Deputy Manager (Footwear Buying/Sourcing)
Aditya Birla Fashion & Retail Ltd.
09.2021 - 07.2024
Deputy Manager (Footwear Buying & Sourcing)
Freewill Sports Pvt. Ltd.
06.2018 - 09.2020
Executive (Sourcing- Domestic & International)
SSIPL Retail LTD.
01.2014 - 05.2018
Buying Executive (Market Places)
Bestylish.com
01.2012 - 12.2014
Post Graduate Diploma - Footwear Technology
Footwear Design & Development Institute
Masters in Sciences - Footwear Technology
IGNOU
Bachelors in Sciences - Physics & Electronics
Allahabad University
MBA - International Business
IMT GHAZIABAD
Secondary & Sr. Secondary - Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics
Central School