GOPI KRISHNAN
Chennai
Summary
Results-driven Sourcing Manager with expertise in strategic sourcing and vendor development in the electric vehicle sector. Specialises in cost reduction, supplier evaluation, and materials management using SAP MM. Leads procurement strategies for critical components, optimising costs and ensuring timely availability. Manages complex international supply chains, ensuring compliance with trade agreements and enhancing operational efficiency.
Overview
1
1
Certification
13
13
years of professional experience
Work History
Sourcing Manager
Switch Mobility EV Bus (Ashok Leyland)
Chennai, Tamil Nadu
03.2025 - Current
- Executed strategic sourcing initiatives to enhance vendor capabilities and support organisational goals.
- New supplier selection & development for commodities like Electric Vehicle connectors, DC-DC Convertor, PDU, Charging Connectors, HV Cable assembly, HV Cable and Battery Pack.
- Experience in Strategic Sourcing from China for more than One year into the electric vehicle market.
- Focus on cost reduction, developing alternate supplier, new vendor development and identification.
- Vendor analysis and rationalization for capacity assessment, time frame agreement.
- Skilled in negotiation skills, checking breakup of quotation and should be focused on 100% localisation with cost reduction.
- Facilitated cross-functional discussions among design engineers, quality engineers, and suppliers to align project objectives and enhance collaboration.
- Costing work out based on zero based cost and price finalization.
- Complete part development starting from RFQ to FAI approval & transfer to production.
- Defect tracking and CAPA Management for timely resolution of Quality issues.
- Knowledge of KAIZEN, SPC, Project tollgate process, Visual Management System.
- Knowledge of process flows, PFMEA and Control plans.
- Identify New technology Requirement both Process and production.
- Maintaining timeline schedule from Supplier for New product development and Ensure as per timeline product has been made with routine supplier visit.
- Periodic follow up with vendors for Sourcing of material/Components from vendors, Facilitating the R&D Team in development of prototype components as per APQP & PPAP.
- Efficiently managing the inventory levels, for ensuring ready availability of material to meet production and dispatch targets.
- On-site Evaluation: The quality system, technology development ability, mass production and delivery ability, emergency response ability, service and cooperation willingness of the supplier should be comprehensively evaluated.
- Product development at supplier end, PPAP (Production Part Approval Process) & Product ionization within timeframe and internal member as per IATF 16949:2016.
- Identified and developed potential vendors to optimise material purchases, ensuring cost-effectiveness and timely delivery.
- Monitoring of BOM Cost of New/Existing product, Initiate measures to optimize the same. Workout on the cost reduction plans.
- Assessing performance of the vendors, vendor rating asked on various criterions such as percentage of rejections, quality improvement, timely delivery, credit terms etc.
- Handling in rental Agreement, Supply agreements, legal Certificates for scrap disposal Etc.
- Materials Handled: Electronic Components and PCBA, Electrical components (Cable, Wiring Harness, Connector, Fuse, Relay), EV Connector and Battery Pack.
Senior Sourcing Engineer
Lucas TVS
Chennai, Tamil Nadu
03.2023 - 03.2025
- Working as 'Manager – Strategic Sourcing for EV battery Project' from March’2022 to till with M/s. Lucas – TVS Ltd, Chennai. Manufacturing Lithium – Ion Batteries for EV vehicles.
- Leading procurement strategies for key raw materials, components, and services, ensuring cost optimization and timely availability.
- Identifying and developing strategic vendors for battery cells, BMS, and other electronic systems.
- Oversaw domestic and international imports for commodities including aluminium, copper, HV and LV connectors, and wiring harnesses, ensuring compliance and timely delivery.
- Conducted international market pricing analysis and strategically negotiated prices with vendors for battery cells (LFP) and other commodities, ensuring competitive sourcing and cost-efficiency.
- Managed costing for all commodities (connector and wiring harnesses), including part conversion costs, job work, and chemicals.
- Oversaw vendor identification based on RFQs, drawings and specifications, with a focus on strategic commercial agreements and induction audits (PPAP/PSW).
- Design based BMS components to be developed and finalise the price annual price contract and finalize the contract manufacturer for BMS with agreed terms.
- Based on the Commodity (EMS components (active, Passive & other) Currency fluctuations, plastics, Aluminium, Lead, Nickel, chemicals etc.) price to be revised monthly, quarterly, yearly as agreed commercial terms.
- Led development of HV connector and HV cable assembly, driving value analysis/value engineering initiatives, alternate sourcing, volume ramp-up, and enhancing quality for key components.
- Managed direct and indirect imports from over 20 countries, including China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Italy, Germany, USA, and Poland, ensuring compliance with FTA and PTA benefits.
- Developed strategies to optimise production efficiency for EV batteries, focusing on streamlining processes and reducing lead times.
Senior Sourcing Engineer
CTTI (Foxconn Group)
Chennai, Tamil Nadu
09.2021 - 09.2022
- Executed strategic sourcing for commodities (electronics, electrical, and mechanical) under international LME price contracts.
- Conducted value engineering exercises to identify cost reduction opportunities and establish long-term cost-saving agreements with suppliers.
- Negotiating and finalizing contracts, prices, timelines, Cost savings, cost negotiations, Payment terms for Domestic & global.
- Managed import and export ordering and customs clearance, optimising duty benefits across commodities using HSN codes and trade agreements (PTA, CEPA, FTA, SIMS, MEIS).
- End to end supply chain activity for import shipment.
- Monitoring Import materials coverage and releasing Imports PO to get on time delivery.
- Import and domestic order releasing with accepted Inco terms follow up with vendor getting supply.
- Reduce the dependence on import vendors by developing local vendors and achieve reduction of 70% dependency on imports.
- Handling of New Vendor developments, new product development and alternate vendor development for monopoly materials.
- Outsource activities costing finalization.
- Moving In-house activities to outsource with less than in house cost.
- Raw Material Cost finalization and PO release.
- Ensuring that all procured items meet the required quality standards and specifications.
- Co-ordinate with Accounts team for on time Customs Duty, Liner charges and vendor payments.
- Maintaining stock as inventory level.
Senior Sourcing Engineer
Amphenol PCD – Electric Vehicle
Chennai, Tamil Nadu
11.2018 - 08.2021
- Drove and monitored supplier onboarding process, ensuring effective identification, qualification, audits, assessments, contracting, and process validation.
- Manage CFT meetings for Requirement gathering, supplier identification and evaluation.
- Drive the team to involve in supplier DFM/ technical requirement feasibility discussions.
- Ensure supply chain risk and mitigation strategies to reduce supplier dependency or cost of ownership etc.
- Bridge the gap between Finance and engineering team to realise the should-cost and take action to meet target cost from respective teams.
- Manage Imports and Exports for Global sourcing commodities.
- Identify zero based cost for the commodity/ part and optimise the NPD time and TAT for PO to material receipt.
- Executed vendor contracts to mitigate risks related to product cost, quality, capacity planning, delivery, part support longevity, and payment terms, including tooling ownership and SLA agreements.
- Conducted supplier RM supplies evaluation study at Tier 3 level, ensuring timely deliverables were met.
- Communication with Supplier for non-conformance of parts and take necessary actions till SOP.
- Continuous improvement in Supplier evaluations, cost strategies, VAVE.
- Finance team follow-ups for Payment schedules for timely commitments fulfilment.
- Prior experience as Supplier development & management in Automotive Industry.
- Excellence in New supplier identification, evaluation & management.
- Previous Instincts upon zero-based costing and Supplier Audits for evaluation.
- Excelled in managing costs and negotiating import agreements.
- Gained experience managing service and vendor contract agreements with various suppliers.
- Knowledge about APQP, PPAP, DFM, FMEA, SPC and IATF 16949 & ISO 9001.
- Components Handle: EV Connector, Charging HV Cable Assembly, DC-DC Convertors, PDU, Sheet Fabrication, Casting, Forging and Moulding, Wiring Hardness and PCBA for Motor controller.
Sourcing Engineer
Foxconn India Pvt Ltd.
Chennai, Tamil Nadu
04.2017 - 09.2018
- Engaged in supplier selection process to develop a supply base that offers competitive advantages in quality, value/cost, delivery, and technology.
- Reviewed suppliers' processes, identifying improvement opportunities in systems to enhance quality, cost, and flow of materials across the supply chain.
- Conduct supplier system and process audits in compliance with supplier performance and monitoring goals and objectives.
- Work out the audit conclusion with SQE and confirm the potential supplier whether the potential supplier is qualified or not.
- Preparation Audit checklist and sourcing procedure as company requirements, audit the same.
- Utilised project management skills to investigate alternate component technologies, implementing changes that improved quality and reliability.
- Work with R&D on New Product Development (NPD) to ensure the integrity and Clarity of Engineering drawing requirements and that all expectations are communicated effectively to supporting suppliers.
- Interact with NPD teams to ensure suppliers are involved in development and reviews of specifications to promote design for manufacturability.
- Search for potential supplier according to quality management system of suppliers and our company’s requirement.
- Defect analysis, Establish Root Cause analysis in co-ordination with QC Engineers.
Sourcing Engineer
Consul Neowatt Power solution
Chennai, Tamil Nadu
04.2013 - 04.2017
- Improving supplier capability to meet the business’s needs & conducting supplier audits, Product & Process audits, identifying Non-Conformance & following up action plan to prevent recurrence.
- Assessed vendor products and services, negotiated pricing, and addressed product-related concerns to enhance supplier relationships.
- Implemented vendor selection programmes to secure high-quality vendors aligned with business needs.
- Reviewed supply chain, analysing cost structures to optimise supplier partnerships.
- Manage supply chain performance and report monthly performance results, identifying issues and recommending corrective action.
- Follow the continuous improvement process, resulting directly reduce the cost of poor quality & improve the cost, quality & delivery.
- Lead forecast and inventory planning meetings with other departments, reviewing recommended sales forecasts and inventory goals (emphasis on brand transitions, new product introduction, and promotions).
- Conducting research on available vendors to determine which vendors offer the best pricing and product quality.
- Identify opportunities to reuse or recycle materials to minimise consumption of new materials, minimize waste, or convert wastes to by-products.
- Continually monitoring sales trends to determine which products are more popular than others.
Education
BE - Electronics Engineering
Oxford Engineering of College
Trichy01-2012
Higher secondary (HSS) -
Periyar Matriculation Hr. Sec School
Trichy01-2008
Senior secondary (SSLC) -
Periyar Matriculation Hr. Sec School
Trichy01-2006
Skills
- Strategic sourcing
- Supplier negotiation
- Vendor development
- Supplier evaluation
- Cost reduction
- Inventory management
- Materials management
- Excel proficiency
- SAP MM
Personal Information
Passport Number: K2725159
Custom Section
Flexible as per business requirement
Languages
English
Proficient
C2
Tamil
Proficient
C2
Certification
- Embedded System certified
Timeline
Sourcing Manager
Switch Mobility EV Bus (Ashok Leyland)
03.2025 - Current
Senior Sourcing Engineer
Lucas TVS
03.2023 - 03.2025
Senior Sourcing Engineer
CTTI (Foxconn Group)
09.2021 - 09.2022
Senior Sourcing Engineer
Amphenol PCD – Electric Vehicle
11.2018 - 08.2021
Sourcing Engineer
Foxconn India Pvt Ltd.
04.2017 - 09.2018
Sourcing Engineer
Consul Neowatt Power solution
04.2013 - 04.2017
BE - Electronics Engineering
Oxford Engineering of College
Higher secondary (HSS) -
Periyar Matriculation Hr. Sec School
Senior secondary (SSLC) -
Periyar Matriculation Hr. Sec School