Manufacturing & Industrial Engineering Excellence Leader

KARTHIK KUMAR U

Manufacturing & Operations Leader Production Industrial Engineering Manufacturing Excellence Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India • Open to Relocation: Across India / APAC / Middle East / Worldwide

+91-962******* • ********@*****.*** • https://www.linkedin.com/in/u-karthik-kumar-206******-**+ Yrs

Manufacturing, Production & IE

Leadership

300+

Team Members Led

76%

Throughput Gain in 12 Weeks

95%

Line Efficiency Sustained

Zero

Non-Conformance (IATF/ISO)

PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY

Manufacturing and Industrial Engineering professional with 19+ years of experience across Production, Industrial Engineering, and Manufacturing Excellence in tyre, battery, and FMCG manufacturing. Currently working with Apollo Tyres in an Industrial Engineering & Manufacturing Excellence role, with hands-on experience in production management, time & motion study, method study, line balancing, capacity planning, manpower optimisation, OEE improvement, Layout Improvement, and continuous improvement. Experienced in working closely with shop-floor teams to identify bottlenecks, eliminate waste, improve productivity, optimise manpower, and standardise processes. Delivered measurable improvements including a 76% throughput increase within 12 weeks, 95% sustained line efficiency, 60% inventory reduction, and 50% scrap reduction through structured problem-solving and process improvement initiatives. Strong in Lean Manufacturing, TPM/TQM, Kaizen, 5S, QCC/QC Story, RCA/8D, KPI management, and capability building, with experience leading and developing teams of 300+ employees. Looking to contribute this combination of shop-floor experience and Industrial Engineering expertise in a Production, Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Excellence leadership role. CORE COMPETENCIES

Production Management: Shop-Floor Leadership, Daily Output & Shift Management, Production Scheduling, KPI Tracking, Cross-Shift Team Development

Industrial Engineering: Process Layout & Material Flow Improvement, Time & Motion Study, Standard Time Setting, Motion Economy, Line Balancing, Method Study, Work Standardisation, Cycle-Time Analysis, Process Flow Analysis, Capacity & Manpower Planning

Manufacturing Excellence: OEE & Productivity Improvement, Loss & Bottleneck Analysis, Lean Manufacturing, TPM/TQM, Kaizen, Waste Elimination, Shopfloor KPI Management, Continuous Improvement & Benefit Tracking

Continuous Improvement: Kaizen, 5S, Lean Manufacturing, QCC/QC Story, Waste Reduction, Root Cause Analysis, Productivity Improvement

Quality & Compliance: ISO 9001 / IATF 16949, Behaviour-Based Safety (BBS), Audit Readiness & Documentation

Capability Building: Training Needs Identification (TNI), Tools & Techniques Training, Skill Matrix Development, Operator Capability Development & Handholding

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Associate Manager May 2019 – Present

Apollo Tyres Ltd. Chennai, India

Manufacturing Excellence Leadership: Drive the Assembly Business Unit's Manufacturing Excellence agenda for a 300+ person team, embedding structured TPM, daily management systems, and Excellence pillars to improve line productivity year over year.

Industrial Engineering: Time & motion study, process flow analysis, operator movement analysis, and practical improvement ideas to reduce movement, handling time, and process losses.

Line Balancing: Conducted time and motion studies and cycle-time analysis to balance workloads across stations, eliminating bottlenecks and improving line efficiency and output consistency.

Capacity & Manpower Planning: Developed capacity and manpower plans aligned to demand, using method study and work standardisation to set realistic cycle times and manning norms.

Capability Building & Training: Designed and delivered tools-and-techniques training — Behaviour-Based Safety (BBS) and QCC/QC Story problem-solving — to shop-floor teams, embedding a self-sustaining continuous-improvement culture.

Waste Elimination & Audit Readiness: Standardised in-process quality checks and drove waste-elimination initiatives that reduced inventory overstock by 60%, while sustaining zero non-conformances across IATF 16949/ISO surveillance audits. Manager Nov 2017 – Apr 2019

Rialto Enterprises Pvt. Ltd. (Contract Manufacturer for Procter & Gamble) Chennai, India

Workforce Strategy: Designed a site-wide manpower optimisation model balancing permanent and contract labour, closing deployment gaps across shifts.

Productivity: Partnered with production teams to raise and sustain 95% line efficiency across all shifts.

Process Flow & Layout Improvement: Analysed existing process flow and operator movement and suggested practical layout improvements to improve ergonomics, reduce unnecessary movement, and minimise material handling time.

Compliance: Facilitated SMETA and ISO audits, ensuring full documentation compliance with zero major findings.

Root Cause Analysis: Drove RCA and corrective-action programmes that reduced quality issues and downstream rework. Deputy Manager Dec 2015 – Oct 2017

Flamagas India Pvt. Ltd. Chennai, India

Throughput Turnaround: Delivered a 76% increase in assembly-area throughput within 12 weeks by reassigning manpower and optimising machine utilisation.

Scrap Reduction: Cut scrap rates by 50% by building operator capability on quality checkpoints and introducing preventive maintenance routines.

KPI Framework: Introduced department-wide KPIs for safety, output, and downtime, enabling real-time performance visibility.

OEE Analysis: Conducted OEE analysis to identify equipment bottlenecks, improving scheduling accuracy and machine availability.

Workflow Standardisation: Delivered an additional 15% productivity gain through workflow standardisation and skill-based operator deployment.

Team Member Feb 2011 – Dec 2015

Apollo Tyres Ltd. Chennai, India

Shop-Floor Supervision: Supervised 100+ shop-floor staff across high-volume production lines, consistently meeting daily output targets.

Performance Monitoring: Tracked production data in real time to identify and correct inefficiencies before they impacted shift performance.

Safety & Audit Readiness: Implemented safety practices that reduced shop-floor incidents and strengthened audit preparedness.

Quality Projects: Led defect-prevention initiatives that improved compliance with internal quality benchmarks. Engineer Apr 2010 – Jan 2011

MRF Tyres Ltd. Hyderabad, India

Brownfield Project Execution: Supported production setup and commissioning activities for a brownfield manufacturing project, coordinating equipment readiness, process requirements, manpower deployment, and production trials.

Onboarding & Training: Trained new recruits on machine handling and safety protocols, improving onboarding efficiency.

Bottleneck Resolution: Resolved equipment coordination delays, lifting production line efficiency and reducing unplanned downtime.

Schedule Management: Managed work schedules to meet order deadlines without compromising quality and operator safety. Officer Jul 2007 – Mar 2010

Exide Industries Ltd. Hosur, India

Training Programme: Implemented a training-needs-driven operator capability programme that improved employee retention and raised team productivity by over 60%.

Quality & Rework: Reduced rework and scrap by implementing SOP-driven quality checks.

5S & Safety: Led workplace safety campaigns and 5S drives to enforce clean, hazard-free operations. EDUCATION

Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical Engineering) — Mahendra College of Engineering and Technology, Tamil Nadu, India Aug 2003 – May 2007

PROFESSIONAL TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT

TPM & TQM • Lean Manufacturing & Continuous Improvement • Kaizen & Problem Solving • OEE & Loss Analysis • Industrial Engineering – Time & Motion Study, Line Balancing & Standard Time • Root Cause Analysis (RCA) & 8D • 5S Internal Auditor • Behaviour-Based Safety (BBS)

• QCC (Quality Control Circle) Methodology

INDUSTRY EXPOSURE

Automotive / Auto Components (Tyre Manufacturing), Energy Storage (Battery Manufacturing), and Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG). Experienced in Production Management, Industrial Engineering, and Manufacturing Excellence, with transferable expertise applicable across diverse manufacturing environments.

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