Gaurav Shankr

Merchandising & Supply Chain leader with 18+ years building and scaling commercial ecosystems for India's most recognized jewellery houses- Aditya Birla Group (Indriya), Titan (Tanishq, Mia, Zoya), and multi-brand retail networks. Currently head merchandising and supply chain for an 11-store network, owning ₹1500 Cr+ inventory investment, 20,000+ designs evaluated monthly, and 112+ vendor relationships. Built a 28,000+ design PLM backbone, cut time-to-market by up to 50%, and consistently delivered double- digit revenue and margin growth.

Brings a rare combination of category buying depth, end-to-end supply chain command, and enterprise transformation experience (Deloitte, PWC)- ready to bring the same rigor and growth mindset to a senior Merchandising or Supply Chain leadership mandate.

Head: Merchandising & Integrated Supply Chain Management at Khimji Jewellers (Khimji KD & Sons Pvt. Ltd.) (2025 – Present)

• Own merchandising, buying, and supply chain for an 11-store network across Gold, Diamond, Platinum, Solitaire, Silver, Watches, Artefacts, and Gifting — ₹1000 Cr+ AOP, 20,000+ designs evaluated monthly.
• Drove 25%+ footfall growth via store-localized assortment strategy; delivered 15–18% margin gains through vendor negotiation across 40+ suppliers.
• Built an integrated supply chain (100% hallmarking/BIS compliance, SKU tagging, inter-store logistics) achieving 98%+ stock availability and 30% lower working-capital blockage.
• Launched a new store (23,000+ SKUs) exceeding 100% of first-month target; led enterprise transformation with Deloitte & PWC; lead a 70-member merchandising, buying & quality team.

Sr. Manager & Head: Product Lifecycle Management at Novel Jewels Limited (Aditya Birla Group) (2023 – 2025)

• Built PLM infrastructure for the Indriya brand — 28,210+ design assets, 873K+ product attributes — achieving a 56% design-differentiation breakthrough.
• Launched 11 collections (Aasmaniyat, Anantara, Devi, and others); cut design-to-market time by 40% via Green Channel systems; scaled 112+ vendor partnerships.
• Led 11 enterprise transformation initiatives spanning ERP integration and Deloitte benchmarking studies.

Head: New Product Development & Merchandising Operations at A'Star Jewellery (Asian Star Company Ltd.) (2022 – 2023)

• Cut product-to-market cycles by 50%, reducing time-to-shelf to within 2 months through merchandising workflow redesign.
• Aligned design and commercial teams to hit both aesthetic and margin targets, improving sell-through across categories.

Co-Founder & CMO (Entrepreneurial Venture) at The Untrainer (Untrainer LLP) — Corporate Training & Social Impact (2019 – 2022)

• Built and scaled a corporate training venture, reaching 5,000+ professionals — sharpened cross-industry leadership, training design, and stakeholder management skills later applied to enterprise merchandising transformation.

Progressive Leadership Roles- NPI & Merchanding, Retail Training, Business Associate Engagement at Titan Company Limited — Jewellery, Watches & Eyewear Division (2013 – 2019)

• Advanced through three escalating roles over six years — from product lifecycle execution to retail training leadership to managing Titan's national franchise network — reflecting sustained, promotion-led growth.
• Ran end-to-end product lifecycle for 65+ jewelry collections across Tanishq, Mia, Goldplus & Zoya (Rajputana, Niloufer, Udhayam, and more), achieving 100% on-time launches across 350+ retail touchpoints.
• Designed and delivered retail & sales training for 700+ professionals nationwide, linking collection launches to luxury clienteling.
• Managed a network of 1,348 Business Associates (franchisees, distributors, vendors) — owning selection, onboarding, performance, and growth strategy across Jewellery, Watches & Eyewear.

Territory Manager, Business Development at Greycaps India Pvt. Ltd. (2011 – 2013)

• Led market expansion into Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh & MP; partnered with NSE/CNBC-TV18 on India's first school finance quiz.

Business Development & Projects Engineer at Gourav Industries Building Systems (2009 – 2011)

• Delivered turnkey client solutions; drove 120% profit increase in year one.

Officer, Sales & Projects at Vijaynath Roof & Wall Cladding Systems (2008 – 2009)

• Built multi-brand partnerships (Hunter Douglas, VMZinc), contributing to a 36% revenue increase.

Assistant Manager, Plant & Machinery at IL&FS Engineering & Construction (2008 – 2008)

• Implemented Preventive Maintenance Schedule, cutting breakdown losses by 23%.

PG Diploma in Training & Development (Dip. TD) – Indian Society for Training and Development, New Delhi (2018 – 2020)

PG Diploma in Project Engineering & Management – National Institute of Construction and Management Research, Pune (2006 – 2008)

BE in Industrial and Production Engineering – Bapuji Institute of Engineering & Technology, Davangere (2002 – 2006)