Anurag Upadhyay

• Directing plant operations and production for 60+ SKUs Including snack, Sugar free - multi grain cookie, Zero Maida bakery products (Breads , Buns & Pao), and Multi Grain flour products (Keto , High Protein & Low GI Atta) along with the Product costing , Plant P&L and Yield Control
• Successfully managing and expanding supply chain operations for 3PL Warehousing and Logistics partners, achieving significant efficiencies: 4 (2 CNF & 2 COCO) warehouses established within 12 months, 34% logistics cost reduction, and 70% lead time reduction for B2B of E-Commerce (Amazon, B2B Clients & Flipkart) & Quick Commerce (BlinkIt , Instamart , Zepto etc) and 5 3rd Party Warehouses for D2C (Shopify and Flipkart) Shipments
• Currently heading contract manufacturing of breads, flat breads, snacks, and cookies in Pan India, along with private label products such as flour, chocolates, snacks, cookies, and beverages
• Strategically sourcing raw materials and packaging supplies against the fixed budget, achieving 22% cost savings on raw materials and 48% reduction on paper-based, flexible packaging (digital and rotogravure printing), and corrugated box materials
• Managing Plant expansion and Successfully executed a plant expansion project, resulting in a 15-fold increase in production capacity for snacks, flour, cookies, and bakery products, while simultaneously achieving a 24% reduction in manufacturing costs over the past 5 years
• Overseeing the implementation of a comprehensive quality management system, including certification, the establishment of a centralized laboratory in Bengaluru, and integrated quality teams in all major metropolitan cities, to ensure rigorous adherence to quality standards
• Over the past year, I've focused on new product development, successfully launching a complete gluten-free range and a Protein Chef range (including snacks, atta, and cookies). These launches were managed end-to-end, ensuring seamless integration with manufacturing and supply chain processes

Projects

• Developed and launched innovative high-protein (Breads , Buns , Atta , Snacks & Cookies) and gluten-free product lines (Snacks, juices, cookies, and atta) and Successfully finalized white-label partnerships, product formulations, contracts, and pricing.
• Successfully integrating a third-party warehousing and shipping partner E-Shop Box and we have reduced D2C shipment lead times across India and lowered both lead times and costs for B2B shipments (Lead Time by 75% & Cost by 31%). This has increased customer satisfaction and generated cost savings, further enhanced by promoting direct orders through our website.
• Onboarded two CNF agents for quick commerce, achieving an 80% reduction in delivery lead time and a 22% decrease in delivery costs, along with improved order and inventory management.

• Managed all operational aspects of a 150 MT capacity plant dedicated to Atta, Snacks, and Cookies production, encompassing production planning, maintenance, and safety, while maintaining regulatory compliance and adherence to company policies
• Managed all aspects of quality within the Quality Department, including product testing, audits (internal and external), and statutory compliance and key achievements include a 0.23% reduction in customer complaints, a 16% decrease in product testing costs, and the establishment of four product testing labs strategically located across India
• Analysis of plant P&L performance, identifying areas for revenue growth and cost reduction. This involved optimizing revenue streams through pricing. A key focus was cost control, achieved through efficient inventory management to minimize waste and holding costs. Ultimately, the goal was to enhance plant profitability and operational efficiency through data-driven insights
• I oversaw the procurement of ₹15 crores worth of raw materials, including imported and domestic plant-based proteins, flexible packaging, and paper-based packaging. This involved managing supplier relationships and optimizing procurement processes. My focus was on ensuring timely and cost-effective sourcing while maintaining quality
• I managed contract manufacturing projects for a wide range of products, including chocolates, peanut butter, ketchup, beverages, snacks, cookies, nutraceuticals, and co-packing. My responsibilities covered all aspects, from vendor selection and contract negotiation to logistics and payment processing.

Projects

• Successfully completed the expansion of Multigrain Flour Manufacturing Division and added Milling Machines , Blender, Sifter and online metal detector and reduced the conversion cost by 32%
• Successfully executed brownfield projects, expanding cookie and bread production capacity from 12 MT to 60 MT. This involved procuring key equipment such as rotary ovens, sheeters, bun dividers, and dough kneaders. Responsibilities included feasibility analysis, project management, CAPEX budgeting and valuation, machine procurement, and vendor management.
• Led the execution of ISO 22000 Certificate audit for the improvement of quality management system across pan India operations to Increase the product quality and customer satisfaction

Projects

• Spearheaded new product development for a range of health-focused items, including: a diabetic juice (formulated with 16 Ayurvedic herbs); a sugar-free sweetener blend (stevia, erythritol, and monk fruit); high-protein, zero-maida bread and buns; and sugar-free chocolate (using isomaltose and sucralose).Responsibilities spanned the entire product lifecycle, from finalization and vendor selection to packaging, supply chain establishment, and collaboration with the revenue team
• Transitioned from digitally printed pouches to roto-gravure printed pouches, achieving a 65% cost reduction and monthly savings of ₹18 lakhs.This was accomplished by optimizing pouch specifications and implementing a new printing technology
• Successfully implemented an ERP system from procurement to sales, streamlining processes for purchase orders, GRN, payment, invoicing, consumption, yield, overhead costs, and invoicing.This improved overall MIS efficiency, reduced report generation time, and enhanced system effectiveness

• Managed and improved plant operations to maximize efficiency, productivity, and quality
• Directed the production of a wide variety of products, such as multigrain, keto, high-protein, and diabetic-friendly atta, as well as fried snacks, cookies, and breads (+25 SKUs)
• Developed and implemented comprehensive product and capacity planning strategies that increased yield to 99% and productivity by 25%, while optimizing production efficiency, meeting customer service level agreements, and ensuring timely delivery of snacks, cookies, and multi-grain atta products
• I worked in close conjunction with the planning department to coordinate and execute all outgoing shipments
• This involved collaborating on production schedules, inventory management, and logistics to ensure timely dispatch
• A key focus of this collaboration was meeting and exceeding our, which stipulated a 99% or higher on-time delivery rate
• Partnered with the quality department to establish and enforce stringent quality control measures, leading to substantially improved product quality and GMP compliance
• Developed and maintained robust quality management systems to ensure adherence to regulatory standards and drive continuous improvement
• Managed the quality department to elevate system quality standards and collaborated with the team to develop and implement HACCP

• Led the successful development of a 20,000 sq ft factory for Bajo Foods, designed for the production of multi-grain atta, cookies, snacks, and packaging materials
• This included establishing comprehensive warehousing for raw materials, packaging, and finished goods to streamline both B2B and B2C distribution
• My responsibilities encompassed plant layout design, machinery procurement, epoxy flooring installation, infrastructure development, and the implementation of an FSSC 22000-certified quality management system
• Successfully implemented lean manufacturing principles, including Kaizen and Poke Yoka, resulting in a 25% increase in productivity and a 15% reduction in production costs

• Oversaw production of organic fast-cooking brown rice, fortified rice kernels, extruded snacks, and rice flour, including operations of a CO2 treatment plant with the SLA Adherence of 98% - 99.5%
• Managed packing operations utilizing automatic pet jar packing machines and blow molding machines (capacity: 50,000 jars/day), snack packing (70 pouches/day), and flour packing (200 MT/day)
• Possess operational knowledge of and experience with CO2 treatment plants, color sorting machines, screening units, dryers, extruders, rollers, pin mills, sifters, jar fillers, labelers, blow molding machines, wrapping machines, polishers, destoners, metal detectors, seasoning drums, FFS, and various packing machines
• Contributed to the brownfield expansion of the atta production and packing unit, including flour and automatic jar packaging
• Participated in internal and external food safety audits, ensuring compliance with FSSAI 22000, IFS, BRC, and HALAL certifications
• Maintained adherence to CCPs and OPRPs, implementing corrective and preventive actions for process and system improvement
• Maintained strict plant hygiene and GMP food safety standards
• Managed export and dispatch planning for optimized efficiency
• Collaborated with the R&D team on FRK (Fortified Rice Kernel) production and packing R&D, and other product development initiatives to ensure smooth manufacturing and operational implementation