Muthukrishnan Santanam

Senior Apparel Manufacturing Professional with 25+ years of leadership experience in Production, Quality, PPC, Industrial Engineering, Lean Manufacturing, and Factory Operations across Woven, Knits, Denim, Home Furnishings, Bags, and Made-Ups. Proven expertise in managing large-scale export manufacturing units (2,000+ manpower, 1,500+ machines), improving OTIF, OCR, efficiency, profitability, and ensuring buyer compliance with global standards. Highly experienced in end-to-end factory operations, including capacity planning, costing, IE, quality systems, compliance, buyer audits, and large workforce leadership.

Recognized for driving operational excellence, cost optimization, and continuous improvement.

Factory Manager - SAARYU – BHIWANDI - Maharashtra

(2022-03)

• Head overall factory operations and performance
• Ensure on-time production and shipment of export orders
• Manage production planning, capacity planning, and line efficiency
• Drive productivity improvement, cost control, and waste reduction
• Oversee quality assurance and buyer compliance
• Prepare factory for buyer audits and social compliance audits
• Lead manpower planning, training, discipline, and motivation
• Coordinate with merchandising, IE, QA, sourcing, and logistics teams
• Implement Lean manufacturing, 5S, and continuous improvement
• Ensure workplace safety, statutory compliance, and factory discipline

General Manager – Production & Quality Operations - NZ Seasonal Wear Ltd. - Rajasthan

(2021-11 - 2022-02)

Leading end-to-end factory operations with 2,200+ manpower and 1,500 machines. Driving profitability, efficiency, and on-time delivery.

• Streamlined production planning, style allocation, and capacity utilization
• Managed Merchandising, PPC, Production, Quality, Finishing, Packing & Dispatch
• Maintained OTIF & OCR under CPM control
• Implemented Lean & IE practices for cost reduction and efficiency improvement
• Coordinated directly with buyers, owners, chairman & directors
• Led procurement strategies for plant & machinery, manpower, and new projects

Senior Manager – PPC - Creative Garments Pvt. Ltd. - Vapi, Gujarat

(2019-05 - 2021-10)

• Headed Production Planning, Quality, TPM & TQM
• Managed SAM, SMV, AMV, OB, IE, MMR, Costing
• Coordinated with SCM, Vendors, HR, Logistics & Dispatch
• Achieved production targets within cost, quality, quantity and time
• Improved line balancing & efficiency
• Maintained monthly OTIF & OCR targets
• Reported to Chairman, MD & Directors

General Manager – Operations (Production & Quality) - CCPIL - Bangalore & Mumbai

(2010-12 - 2019-04)

Complete responsibility for 840 seats factory for multi-unit factory operations.

• Strategy planning, budgeting, PPC, utilities & quality systems
• Achieved profitability through cost control & production planning
• Led MIS, IE, PPC & Commercial analysis
• Developed new samples from fabric to final garment
• Buyer meetings, costing approvals & negotiation support
• Maintained DHU, OTIF & OCR
• Strong exposure to buyer audits & compliance

Production Head - Alok Industries Ltd. - Thane, Maharashtra

(2009-09 - 2010-11)

Head of production for Knits & Woven.

• Production planning, line balancing & vendor coordination
• Costing with SAM / SMV / AMV
• Ensured buyer quality compliance
• Maintained OTIF & OCR
• Reported to VP – Production & Directors

Merchandiser cum Production Manager - LCI Exports India Pvt. Ltd. (buying agency) - Umbergoan, Gujarat

(1998-09 - 2009-09)

• Production planning based on SAM, OB & IE
• DPR, line setup, bottleneck analysis
• Inline, mid & final inspection planning
• Managed finishing, washing, ironing & packing
• Daily reporting to MD & Directors

B.Tech - Textile Engineering - ALAGAPPA University (Affiliated) (1990 - 1994)

Diploma - Merchandising & Fashion Designing - Commercial Tailoring College (Bell Co) (1995 - 1996)

Diploma - Agriculture - Tamil Nadu Technical Institute (1997 - 1998)