Kavita

Business head in textiles and apparel with 20+ years of owning and influencing P&L across fashion, workwear, and specialty textile businesses in India and US sourcing hubs. I have managed portfolio sizes from USD 10M to 122M, driving sales growth, 4–5% YoY COGS reduction, and margin expansion through strategic sourcing, value engineering, and disciplined vendor governance. My experience spans building and scaling new verticals, leading global supplier networks, and collaborating with R&D and commercial teams to convert innovation into profitable, scalable programs.

Director at Odetofuture Pvt. Ltd (2023-06 – Present)

• Lead end-to-end sourcing strategy for sustainable materials and products, partnering with global corporations to embed ESG-driven raw material sourcing into core assortments and growth plans.
• Collaborate with R&D and product teams to convert innovation concepts into bulk-ready programs, reducing time-to-market and scaling commercialization while also linking innovation roadmaps to viable, profitable product pipelines.
• Own key commercial levers like costing frameworks, value engineering, and supplier negotiations to deliver competitive COGS while maintaining quality and compliance.
• Set sourcing policies, SOPs, and performance scorecards to drive reliability, on-time delivery, and ethical, sustainable operations across the supply base.

Head – Strategy & Sourcing Operations (Women's Apparel, Multi-Category) at BIBA Apparels (2016-12 – 2022-01)

• Directed production and sourcing for a USD 122M women's apparel portfolio, effectively managing category growth, supply base performance, and cost structures.
• Owned and optimized P&L levers for the sourcing function, delivering 4–5% YoY COGS reduction through supply base consolidation, digital RFP/RFQ tools (including Ariba bidding), and value-engineering initiatives.
• Re-engineered sourcing calendars and critical paths, improving speed-to-market, transparency, and adherence to master calendar milestones for domestic and direct import models.
• Built and strengthened a reliable vendor and mill network across key hubs, ensuring capacity, quality, and delivery commitments for seasonal and core programs.
• Partnered closely with Design, Merchandising, Planning, Finance, Sustainability, and DC/Logistics to align product strategy, inventory plans, and cost targets with brand and business goals.
• Established and led a high-performing sourcing and production team with clear KPIs, training roadmaps, and succession plans, driving strong execution and internal mobility

Strategic Sourcing Lead – Global Workwear Production (Textiles) at Cintas Corporation (2015-07 – 2016-07)

• Managed a USD 110M global textile sourcing portfolio, directly impacting divisional P&L for the world's largest workwear company (USD 10.8B).
• Negotiated strategic sourcing agreements and three-tier raw-material mapping to reduce total landed cost, increase agility, and protect service levels across multiple categories.
• Drove lead-time and production turnaround improvements in collaboration with planning and logistics, contributing to improved OTIF and reduced expediting costs

Lead Product Development & Innovation (Ethnic & Fusion wear) at Kaveesha (2008-10 – 2014-06)

• Managed sourcing and production for a USD 10M+ ethnic and fusion wear business, balancing design intent, cost targets, and delivery commitments.
• Negotiated material substitutions, bulk buys, and long-term supplier agreements that generated significant raw-material cost savings and supported category profitability.

Business Head – Debenhams Menswear (Sourcing & Production) at Impulse India (2007-07 – 2008-09)

• Owned the India-based business for Debenhams UK menswear, responsible for revenue growth, gross margin delivery, and service performance for the account.
• Achieved 300% growth in designer lines sourced from India by expanding vendor capabilities, introducing new product options, and improving speed-to-market.
• Delivered the highest cost savings in the division through strategic raw-material substitution, consolidation, and bulk negotiations across mills and garment vendors, strengthening account profitability

Business Management Program in Business Management – IIM Ahmedabad (2021 – 2022)

Masters of Science in Textiles – Delhi University (1998 – 2000)

Bachelors of Science in Textiles – Delhi University (1995 – 1998)