Babu S

Key Expertise

• Product Development:

• Develops innovative fabrics and concepts based on emerging trends and client specifications.

Identifies and partners with the right suppliers for new product development to ensure quality and timely delivery.

• Works closely with fabric suppliers to manage all aspects of raw material sourcing, quality testing, and development.

• Market Analysis & Cost Management:

• Conducts comprehensive market analysis of raw material prices, including fiber, yarn, and finished materials.

Shares market intelligence with the commercial team on a weekly or monthly basis to support strategic decisions.

Reviews cost breakdowns and negotiates with suppliers to achieve target prices while maintaining quality.

• Quality Assurance & Risk Mitigation:

Sets and enforces common raw material quality standards to ensure consistent quality across production.

• Manages bulk fabric color approvals, physical testing, and compliance checks to ensure high-quality final products.

• Conducts risk assessments to address and mitigate potential issues during bulk production.

• Supply Chain Management:

• Tracks fabric deliveries to ensure alignment with garment production timelines.

Deals directly with suppliers to resolve quality-related issues promptly and effectively.

Sources fabrics and trims, nominating suppliers based on product type and project requirements.

• Sustainability Leadership:

• Manages sustainable product ranges, including BCI, organic, and recycled products.

• Drives sustainability initiatives such as ZDHC, CMS, HIGG, and other environmentally conscious projects.

• Conducts technical needs assessments for clients to identify critical solutions aligned with sustainability goals.

• Team Leadership:

Leads in-house laboratory and fabric development teams, ensuring technical excellence and innovation.

• Provides training and guidance to teams on sustainability practices and technical advancements.

• Assess the potential opportunities with the concept of mill nomination.
• Collate and build strong supply chain partners, including Spinner, Knitter, and fabric mills.
• The raw material trend, such as cotton, polyester fibers, and yarn prices.
• Share the monthly yarn and fabric price trend based on country-wise data, especially for China, Bangladesh, and India.
• Indicate to the Commercial team the sharp downward and upward raw material price trends.
• Manage the fabric mills in India, Bangladesh, and China, and create a consensus with the mills regarding nomination procedures.
• Vendor management and category strategy to effectively drive fabric sourcing.
• Dubai
• Developed reports outlining current sourcing activity and analysis of future opportunities.
• Conducted negotiations with vendors for best prices and terms of delivery.
• Performed regular review meetings with key suppliers regarding performance metrics and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Located vendors of materials, equipment or supplies to conduct interviews, determining product availability and terms of sales.
• Identified systematic problems and root causes to resolve issues and improve service delivery.

• Find the potential supplier based on fabric type, design, and volume.
• Liaise with the sourcing team for greige and fabric forecasts. Identify the potential key line fabric for greige commitment.
• Ensure that you meet the right quality and delivery as per the client's request.
• Seasonally, we collect the latest developments from the mill for buying meetings.
• Vendor management in terms of price, development, raw material stock, and on-time delivery.
• Manage the key line fabric greige stock and replenishment.
• Ensure that quality, ethical, and legal standards are met as per Tesco protocol.
• Deal with suppliers' queries and complaints to ensure the issues are resolved.
• Prepared reports on seasonal fabric trends, and closely worked with the mill to arrange for buying meetings.
• And keep up with the up-to-date trends and innovations.
• Provide technical support to the design and product development team.
• Liaise with fabric mills for new fabric development, and ensure to meet the requirements in terms of quality and price.
• Conduct a style review meeting: risk assessment in terms of fabric quality testing, fabric delivery, and styling construction.
• Conduct on-site training on new project, ZHDC, REACH, CPSIA compliance.
• Brands Handled: F&F.

• Manage .6 M$ business per annum for domestic Market
• Analyze the Marketing trends and demands
• Focused the substantial growth in business
• Finding new potential garment suppliers and agents for exploring the new business
• Costing Negotiation with customers
• Develop the new design as per customer request, interacting with yarn div to processing till product fabric commercialized
• Finalize the fabric delivery date and mode of transport and ensure to delivery on time
• Make the right sales contract with a customer in terms of payment and delivery terms
• Resolve quality, delivery, and payment-related issues
• Brands Handled: Ralph Lauren, H&M, Jockey, and Mother Care

Handled 6 different factories with individual Quality team

Fabric and Garment Testing

• Expertise in physical and chemical testing to meet industry compliance standards such as ZDHC, CPSIA, and REACH.

• Proficient in fabric inspection techniques, including the 4-point system, to identify defects such as weaving flaws, dye inconsistencies, and shrinkage.

• Skilled in evaluating fabric quality for construction, colorfastness, GSM, and performance properties.

• Experienced in working with diverse fabric types, including natural, organic, and recycled materials, ensuring compliance with client specifications.

Quality Assurance and Inspection

• Proficiency in implementing inspection protocols, including AQL standards, 4-point systems, and process audits.

Written by expertsConducted in-line inspections to identify and address defects such as puckering, skipped stitches, and seam mismatches.

• Regularly conducted risk assessments, set quality benchmarks, and trained teams to maintain high standards across the supply chain.

• Ensured adherence to Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and production timelines for consistent quality delivery.

Cutting and Sewing

• Managed six different cutting and sewing factories, each with dedicated quality teams.

• Oversaw marker placement and fabric utilization to minimize wastage and improve efficiency.

• Ensured fabric lays, tension, and cutting accuracy to avoid defects

garment assembly.

• Monitored stitch quality, thread tension, seam strength, and overall garment construction to uphold standards.

Packaging and Logistics Coordination

• Supervised packaging processes, ensuring accurate folding, labeling, tagging, and polybag sealing per client requirements.

• Coordinated with logistics teams to ensure products met packing density, weight, and safety standards.

Process Optimization and Training

• Established and maintained quality systems for production and final inspections to enhance operational efficiency.

• Developed and delivered training programs for teams, focusing on quality assurance and supply chain management.

• Conducted pre-production checks to identify and mitigate risks in patterns, markers, and production processes.

• Dealing with fabric suppliers for seasonal product developments.
• Seasonal color management and development.
• Find the key potential fabric suppliers based on design and volume.
• Conduct a material inspection using a 4-point system, and approve based on visual assessment, hand feel, colors, and constructions.
• Finalize the fabric costing and delivery term
• Build the vendor relationship based on product
• Keep tracking the fabric deliveries and quality.
• Approve the print strike-off, bulk, sample, and accessories fabrics.
• Ensure that you meet the testing standards in terms of physical and chemical.
• Carried out complete testing parameters in terms of fabric and garments.
• To ensure that we develop on time and follow up with the home office for fabric commercialization.
• Track with Mills for fabric quality and deliveries, and ensure to make the deliveries on time.
• Attend raw material and color management meetings in the home office.
• Maintaining the material data in terms of greige and color forecasting.
• Created reports detailing quality assurance results for incoming materials inspections.
• Compiled and maintained records of material inventories, costs, deliveries and product specifications.
• Built and maintained cross-functional relationships to expedite product design and development processes.
• Monitored vendor performance to ensure on-time delivery of goods at competitive prices.

• Negotiated fabric prices with mills, ensuring cost-effectiveness while maintaining quality standards.

• Conducted raw material inspections using the 4-point system to identify and address defects early in the supply chain.

• Led the quality, technical, and inspection teams to uphold buyer standards and ensure smooth production processes.

• Managed seasonal greige and color forecasts to align with production schedules and market demands.

• Ensured compliance with buyer quality standards for fabric physical properties and sewing performance.

• Oversaw the submission of production, shipment, and prototype samples, ensuring timely delivery.

• Performed in-line quality checks to minimize rejection rates and enhance production efficiency.

• Conducted comprehensive fabric and garment appearance testing at pre- and post-production stages.

• Planned and scheduled production and inspection activities to meet delivery timelines.

• Coordinated pre-inline and final inspection schedules with buying teams to ensure seamless approvals.

• Reported inspection pass/fail rates to management for performance evaluation and process improvement.

• Recruited and onboarded new Quality Controllers (QCs) to strengthen the quality assurance team.

• Developed and delivered training materials to support quality assurance initiatives and best practices.

• Achieved project scope and delivery timelines by optimizing testing schedules and resources.

• Designed and implemented effective testing processes for new and existing products to meet client expectations.