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Anil
Chopra
74, Vidya Vihar, Sector-9, Rohini,
Delhi, India 110 085
Tel.: (91) (11) 2756 3421 Mobile:
+91- 98681-64559 Email:
anilchopra@anilchopra.com
FOOD
SUPPLY CHAIN PROFESSIONAL
Motivated and self driven achiever with highly visible senior-management accountabilities eager to bring to your company ability to significantly increase growth, profitability, efficiencies, and shareholder value.
EXPERIENCE
Competent Agri Solutions Pvt Ltd. - (Current) - Competent Agri Solutions Pvt Ltd was founded by him in August 2009 along with a like minded Gujarat based Agribusiness professional. Besides being a full service Supply Chain Solutions and Consultancy in fruit & Vegetable sector, contributing knowledge resources and cross linking opportunities towards improvement of fruit and vegetable trade both a backend and frontend, is the main mandate of Competent Agrisolutions
Position - Managing Director
Achievements
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Concept to commissioning consulting project for M/s Adarsh ThoughtWorks Pvt. Ltd, a Rajasthan based large financial institution, for establishment of an innovative pan Indian urban retail system. A complete Agri-produce Collection Centres in villages, Warehouse and Cash & Carry Stores that shall act as re-distribution points on hub and spoke model are integral parts of the system. Pilot project with 110 mobile kiosks and few stand alone stores, is ready for roll out on large scale in Delhi / NCR region.
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Strategic consulting agreement has been reached with a National level street vendor organization to form retailers SHGs in Delhi / NCR region. These SHGs through their own Federation & Management shall directly source fruit & vegetables from neighboring Farmers SHGs, consolidate the sourced products in their large warehouse and distribute same to their own members to be eventually retailed to end customers. This would perhaps be first initiative of such kind of linkages in India.
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Consulting assignments in progress:
- CA cold storage projects for HP based apple orchardist and a Delhi based apple trader.
- Fruit & Vegetable minimal processing, storage and distribution project for a Delhi based corporate group.
- SHG formation, facilitation and market linkage project for quasi Govt. institution in Uttarakhand.
- Revamping of distribution operations and Process re-engineering – a short term consulting assignment for LML 365, a Delhi based retail chain owned by Shri Lal Mahal Limited, major Indian rice exporters with 40 odd stores.
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Conceptualized ‘ Vegfru’ - a fruit & vegetable packing, minimal processing and distribution brand. Vegfru through its associate processors takes an innovative approach to provide fresh-cut and value added fruit and vegetable products to the food service industry, food processing / manufacturing companies, retail chains and traditional retailers with a strong focus on convenience, quality, hygiene and food safety while perfectly matching each customers’ special needs.
- Company’s first innovative product, trimmed shrink wrapped tender coconut is runaway success
- Modern fresh cut processing infrastructure that includes cold rooms, chillers, RO water systems apart from food grade machinery / equipment is part of the system.
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In addition to above, within days of company incorporation, he organized vegetable growers in Delhi rural and adjoining Haryana State and set up farmers’ managed three Collection Centers to pool their fresh produce for onward supply to retail chains like Aditya Birla Retail Ltd (More), Big Apple, Pantaloon Retail, besides servicing some caterers and orders suppliers. Farmers are very happy with this direct farmer – market linkage initiative.
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Sourcing assistance from Northern India was also provided to companies like Heritage Retail in Andhra and Field Fresh Foods Pvt Ltd (Bharti Delmonte) in Bangalore.
REI Six Ten Retail Ltd – (2009) - REI Agro Ltd was established in the year 1994 with a vision to consolidate the fragmented basmati rice industry. In a short span of time it rose to the position of an undisputed leadership in the industry. REI Agro launched its 6Ten chain of retail outlets in last quarter of the fiscal of 2006-7 as part of its objective to get closer to end customer. With 371 neighborhood stores in 9 Indian States presently, 6Ten is a retail brand to reckon with. REI is in process of convering its retail chain business model from ‘company owned – company operated’ to franchisee operations.
Position - Operating Consultant (Fruit & Vegetables)
Inducted on a short term functional consulting assignment with an express brief to quickly turnaround a bloated, wholesale market driven supply chain into a thin and lean ‘direct from supply source’ driven low cost distribution model, he quickly achieved following in a span of just one and a half month only without disturbing the running operations since last two years.
Achievements
- Established 5 new Collection Centers across the 5 Indian States for sourcing fresh produce directly from farmers. This brought down the procurement share of wholesale markets by 45% resulting in saving on product procurement cost by a whopping 20% plus. Substantial improvement in freshness and quality because of this action however can’t be quantified.
- Brought down the transport fleet size by 18% resulting in saving over Rs 2 Lakh a month on transport bill.
- Reduced wage bill by trimming down manpower by almost 50% bringing down the manpower cost and tremendous improvement in people productivity.
- Just 14000 Sq ft warehouse used in servicing morning 6 AM daily deliveries at 185 plus stores in Delhi / NCR region.
- Changed the warehouse operations from ‘own’ to ‘outsource’ to wean out inefficiencies and rationalize manpower deployment.
- Implemented all together new Indenting, Pricing & Price Benchmarking, Logistics and reporting system in spite of good resistance from staff for maintaining status quo. Blending some fresh experienced talent with old staff and nurturing the blend as a supportive team made this possible in quick span.
Reliance Retail Ltd (RRL) – (2006 -2009) - As a wholly owned subsidiary of Reliance Industries Ltd, RRL is gearing up to revolutionize the retailing industry in India and is aggressively working on introducing a pan-India network of retail outlets in multiple formats.
Postion - AVP & Business Head Fresh, frozen and processed Fruit & Vegetables- Location Delhi
Supported by a band of young professionals, he spearheaded quick establishment of Fruit & Vegetables business operations for Reliance’s ambitious retail initiatives in flagship territory of Delhi / NCR and Haryana.
Achievements – Starting from zero base, launched fresh produce category at Reliance Fresh stores in flat two and half months by;
- Building capacity in terms of sourcing fresh produce directly from farm production / supply areas by establishing Collection Centers across the 5 neighboring States,
- Establishing a large warehouse complex to handle, process, consolidate fresh produce,
- Building / renewing relationship with hundreds of stakeholders across the chain to feed / oil the supply chain
- Organizing a market intelligence network for price benchmarking both at wholesale as well as retail side,
- Logistics planning for very complex geography that is NCR which falls in three States with many vehicle entry barriers and restrictions.
- Category merchandising, demand planning and price / promotion management at front end – a ticklish job considering price / market spread in retail at thousand unorganized retail markets.
- Building a strategic team to manage thin and lean supply chain.
- Establishing a modern fresh cut vegetable facility to cut, pack and distribute fresh cut vegetables – a first of such unit for a retail chain in NCR.
- Presently 130 stores and 5 Hypermarkets are served fresh produce on 24x7x365 basis for a 60 Crore plus per annum profitable business with net margins going up to 9%.
- Few of the low cost warehousing, distribution models (Direct Store Delivery by cutting down distribution time) and techno initiatives (market information system) undertaken by team are industry first in organized sector and have completely rebuild the supply chain value proposition for perishable produce. Within Reliance Retail, these models developed by local team have been replicated all across India.
Subhiksha, a Chennai based pan Indian supermarket discount chain – (2005-2006)
Head of Business Operations (Fruit & Vegetables) – North Unit – Location Delhi
Based out of Delhi till 5th October 2006 as Business Head of the Subhiksha’s horticulture business in North Unit with PnL responsibility, he initiated setting up of Subhiksha’s first ever fruit and vegetable retail and semi-wholesale business.
Achievements
- Quick establishment of a supply chain to fit into Subhiksha’s overall discount retailing strategy.
- Quick roll out of 55 stores operational all across Delhi in just three months.
- Subhiksha, a hitherto unknown business entity in Northern India gets a brand identity in Delhi before final launch of supermarket and telecom business three month later.
- Unexpected customer pull, good business, and also a good competition to already entrenched Mother Dairy’s Safal retail outlets.
Safal Auction Market, Bangalore, a brain child of the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) which has been established to usher in a new chapter to the business of wholesaling horticultural commodities in India. (2004-2005)
Postion - Head (Business Development) – North / West / East operations – Location Delhi
As Head of the group he was inducted to develop a supplier base across Northern / Western / Eastern India to cater to Safal Market’s requirements in relation to sourcing of stored and fresh produce. His responsibilities included development of markets and buyers in his territory for marketing of horticultural commodities available through Safal Market’s supply infrastructure in South India.
Achievements
- Strategic Team Building – Built, placed and managed a team, practically from scratch, at potential locations across his territory to execute Safal Market’s supply objective in just two months. Local teams were effectively deployed to ensure regular supplies for auction as per Safal Market’s quantity, quality, packaging, delivery and price requirements from day one.
- Capacity Building – In just 4 months he was able to build business alliances with more than 20 Cold / Dry store owners and users in Delhi, Haryana, UP, Maharashtra to achieve Safal Market’s supply chain objectives. Job entailed designing and signing of formal and informal MOUs, Agreements and Contracts.
- Institution Development – Facilitated development of 10 growers’ institutions in HP, UP, Maharashtra for exclusive supplies to Safal Market in first 5 months. Integrated growers, exiting growers’ organizations, institutions and traders as registered suppliers.
- Infrastructure Building – Initiated this exercise at 5 locations for direct / indirect productive impact on supplies to Safal Market in near future. This would entail establishment of Sorting / Grading lines for Apples / Oranges / Potato / Kinnow and modern dry warehouse and cold storage for Onions.
- Relationship Building – Revived, refreshed and made contacts with many old and new suppliers / buyers / APMCs in Delhi, Pb. Haryana, HP, UP, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, J&K etc to ensure smooth licensing for uninterrupted supplies / sales for Safal Market.
- Promotion and publicity of Safal Market concept at all suppliers’ / non-supplier meets / industry forums with effective use of IT tools and electronic media.
Mother Dairy Foods Processing Limited, owners and marketer of Mother Dairy, Dhara and Safal brands of dairy, vegetable oils and horticultural products, Delhi, India. Current turnover is over Rs 1500 Crore. The company is wholly owned by the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) - an organisation of National importance. (1987 - 2004)
Strategy Planning & Business Development Group (Agri-business) (2003-2004)
With a vision to expand its Agri. business interests in India and abroad, NDDB inducted him in this group, as a supply chain expert, to formulate commercially viable food sector projects in various States in India and abroad. His key role was to provide strategic support wherever his strengths can be utilized to promote Safal Market concept.
Achievements
- As a wholesale markets expert with Market Development department, he played a key role in successful operationalisation of Centralized Dutch fruit and vegetable auction at NDDB’s prestigious Safal Market in Bangalore. In addition to auction, three Cash & Carry Stores for wholesaling fruit and vegetables had also been successfully launched in Bangalore city. In just two months of launch, Safal Market wholesaled around 100 MT fresh produce daily.
- Within a month of induction, he was able to identify for NDDB, a local procurement and imports based food marketing project in Colombo, Sri Lanka. After extensive travel and studies in Sri Lanka, a pre-feasibility study has already been submitted and got approved. Detailed market survey to formulate a commercially viable project plan for the identified project is in progress.
- Successfully negotiated a long term lease of 24 Acre built up wholesale Food Market in Ernakulam (Cochin) with Kerala Govt.
Processed Food Supply Chain Management Group - (2002 – 2003)
As a Head of the Group, he was inducted to revamp the supply chain management processes for Company’s processed food products.
Achievements
- In a short span of just 4 months, he leveraged technology to revamp communication and information systems for the group.
- A low cost transaction software & electronic data interchange system integrated with main server at Head Qtr, was placed at all C & F Agent locations. This action ironed out the major deficiencies in Inventory, Invoice & MIS processes.
- As a step forward, introduction of an enterprise level web application to replace above with a more agile online system was implemented.
- All Operational staff, suppliers, C & F Agents, transporters and other business associates were made to communicate through private and public networks only. A minor point but this action cut down the communication cost by more than 25%.
- In view of logistical, cost and contractual disadvantages, he rationalized Company’s C & F operations across the country by closing and scaling down 8 C & F operations in flat 4 months without affecting the sales. (Cost cutting by 30%).
- A new supply cum distribution model using Integrated Logistics Service Providers was introduced for frozen products for the first time in the Country at few select locations. This move shall bring down the overall distribution cost by at least 15 %.
- Brought down the cost of operations in surviving C & F and transport contracts by 10 % by cutting down the storage space requirement and review of secondary transport arrangements.
- Drafted new C & F & transport contracts to plug numerous money draining holes.
- A low cost centralized computerized and online Indenting model was developed and deployed across the country to streamline various Supply Chain Management processes.
Strategy Planning & Business Development Group- (1997 -2002)
As Head of the Agri-Business Strategy Planning & Business Development Group, he co-coordinated the long-range strategy planning and business development activities for company's agribusiness interests. He collaborated on a prestigious feasibility study for the Government of India on the alternate fruit and vegetables marketing structures, as an Agri-business Management expert. This study has culminated in establishment of a megaton fruit and vegetable auction market project by NDDB at Bangalore. As a team leader, he formulated horticulture development plans, including technology integrated backward and forward linkages, for the states of Kerala, Uttaranchal and Jharkhand.
His other interests in the group included spear heading company's drive to induct and integrate new technological advancements like Wireless communication networks, Remote Sensing, Smart cards, Internet based applications etc. into existing fruit & vegetable procurement and marketing business processes.
He also led two groups involved in business process review and performance management systems for horticultural Units of the Company.
Achievements
- Project plan for Fruit & Vegetable Auction Market Project at Bangalore, with a project outlay of Rs 150 Crore, gets quick approval by NDDB. The plan included a detailed road map for the fruit & vegetable supply management activities within and outside Karnataka for the proposed market.
- Quick acceptance of the Integrated Horticulture Marketing feasibility study by the Government of India.
- Prepared a blueprint for horticultural Cash-n-Carry stores for company’s Delhi Fruit & Vegetable Unit.
- Spearheaded company’s marketing drive to create a niche for it's complete range of fresh products in hitherto untapped wholesale and export markets. Exported huge potato quantity to Srilanka.
- Introduced wholesale branding concept for fruit & vegetables for the first time in the country in organized sector. Both exports and wholesale marketing are now new revenue streams for the company.
- Developed CFB wholesale and retail packaging for ten fruits and vegetables for the company in just two months. Introduced indigenous Kiwi fruit in branded packs for the first time in Indian markets.
- An alternate logistic plan developed by him is yielding rich dividend currently.
- Represented company at numerous Agri-business events, seminars, conferences and presentations organized by various chambers of commerce (like FICCI, CII, ASSOCHAM), Central and State Govts.
Procurement Group - (1987-1997)
In various capacities up to Group Head, he was responsible for planned sourcing of fruit and vegetables from growers' / farmers' organisations, wholesale markets, corporate houses all over the country at competitive prices as per company's Quantity requirements, Quality Specifications, Delivery Schedules and Packaging Standards in a thoroughly on-line IT enabled environment. Responsibilities included development of farmers’ organisation and their infrastructure, logistics, management of extension services and a technical input programme to support planned procurement from farm institutions.
Achievements
- Managed a dedicated team of 60 plus professionals, to develop an extensive and effective Fresh Produce contract farming Sourcing network, practically all over India, for round the year quality supplies of more than 150 fresh commodities at competitive prices. The job involved round the clock coordination and monitoring at various levels.
- Brought 500 plus Hectares of vegetable area in 6 Indian States under production enhancement contract farming programme using state of the art production technology based on the principles of precision and uniformity and use of innovative but simple farm machines. Wide bed production technology propagated by his group for various vegetables, particularly potatoes, have become a de-facto standard for progressive farmers through out Northern India.
- Strategic reorganization of procurement policies and procedures from purchases at supply source at local prices and terms, to, supplies at company premises in Delhi without declaring prices in production areas. This change completely overhauled company's procurement structure and resulted in major savings.
- Reorganization of purchases in wholesale markets from outright purchases at company's risk, to supplies at Project premises in Delhi on competitive biddings basis. This change resulted in major savings.
- Introduction of 15 difficult fruit and vegetable items hitherto not retailed by the Project.
- Arrangement of 11000 MTs of produce, apart from regular supplies for company's retail outlets in six months, for wholesale trials at major Indian wholesale market.
- Developed various contract formats for growers, transporters and wholesalers that are still being used
Milkfed , Punjab - A Federation of 10 Distt. Milk Cooperatives and owners of "Verka", a well-known milk products brand in India. (1981 -1987)
Technical Input Group
As a Head Technical Input Group, he was responsible for development of a dedicated group of contract farmers for an innovative seed production programme and management of milk production enhancement services though animal nutrition programme to support planned procurement of milk.
Achievements
- Planning and execution of a fodder seed production programme on more than 500 Hectares annually under contract growing.
- Management of a 50 Hectares captive demonstration cum seed production farm as an independent profit centre.
Government of Punjab, India (1979 -1980)
Ground Water Cell
As an Inspector with the State Government, he was responsible for agriculture extension and rural development work under Intensive Rural Development Programme of the Govt. of India.
Achievements
As a team leader spearheaded setting up of first mobile soil and water testing laboratory in the state of Punjab
SKILLS
- Able
to negotiate
at his
terms while ensuring an impression of win-win situation for others.
- Highly
proficient
in
Microsoft Office applications. Can skillfully use oracle applications
on UNIX
platform. Working knowledge of Linux & elementary HTML.
- Proven
skill and expertise in writing techno-feasibility project reports /
project
proposals / annual reports.
- Able
to draw from concepts and designs to build
packages ready for final production.
- Able
to conceptualize, design and
create
web sites and
other forms of electronic media.
- Highly
proficient
in use of
Internet and Intranets for communication, information, entertainment,
commerce
and computing.
- Trained
by Ministry of Industries, Govt. of India, in Export Management and
Packaging.
- Groomed
by world-renowned Agri experts, WAT Technologies, USA, in vegetable
production
enhancement techniques and practices.
- Well
versed in
total quality management and man management
aspects with particular reference to Agri-business.
STRENGTHS
- Conceptual
Thinker -
able to see the "big
picture" of a project and break it down into workable tasks for team
interaction and contribution.
- Creative
Strategist -
not afraid to
"think out of the box" in the creation of sourcing and marketing
strategies.
- Hard
Worker -
believes in the "extra
mile" mentality. Does whatever it takes to get the job done.
- Results
Driven -
able to implement a thorough,
well-thought plan of action. Able to evaluate progress and make
necessary
modifications to ensure desired results.
- Effective
Communicator -
able to
effectively interact with all types of individuals in the exchange of
ideas.
Possesses good listening and communication skills.
- Team
Player -
thrives in a team environment and
able to keep team members directed and focused on goals.
EDUCATION
Pb.
Agril. University, Ludhiana, Punjab, India.
(1977-1979)
M.Sc in Nutrition, 1979 - Classified as First Class,
GPA 3.72 /
4.00.
Pb.
Agril. University, Ludhiana, Punjab, India.
(1973-1977)
B.Sc (Hons) in Agriculture, 1977
- Classified as First Class, GPA 3.32 / 4.00.
PERSONAL
Date
of
Birth: 29th October, 1956
Marital
Status: Married
Children:
Two, both engineers
Languages:
English, Hindi, Punjabi and working knowledge of Marathi, Gujarati and
Urdu.
Foreign
Travel:  Various
European and SAARC countries
Interests:
Food, Information & Communication technology, Travel, Books and
Music
AVAILABILITY
- Available
for employment and consulting
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