Rahul Kumar

NIFT graduate and strategic retail leader with 15+ years of experience driving category growth, brand management, buying, merchandising, product management, and e-commerce performance across apparel, sportswear, kidswear, and lifestyle categories. Managed INR 600 Cr+ business portfolios across apparel, sportswear, kidswear, and lifestyle categories, driving growth through category strategy, marketplace expansion, buying, merchandising, and product leadership. Led cross-functional teams of 20+ delivering sustained revenue, margin, and market-share growth across marketplace, retail, and brand environments.

Recognized for combining strong commercial acumen, consumer insights, and data-driven decision-making to build profitable and scalable businesses across online and offline channels.

Family Care & Medical Priority - Career Break

(2025-02)

Took a planned break to manage a family care and medical priority. The situation is now fully stabilized; actively pursuing senior leadership opportunities and available to join immediately.

Deputy Director – Brand Management - Myntra | Flipkart Group - Bangalore

(2019-11 - 2025-01)

Owned category strategy, commercial planning, assortment management, marketplace growth, vendor partnerships, and full P&L across Men's, Women's, Kidswear, and Sportswear categories.

• Owned full P&L for a INR 600 Cr+ portfolio with complete accountability for revenue growth, profitability, inventory productivity, and customer acquisition.
• Delivered 253% YoY growth through strategic category expansion, assortment optimization, and marketplace-led growth initiatives.
• Increased Men's category share from 13% to 49% by strengthening assortment architecture, pricing competitiveness, and brand mix.
• Grew Kidswear market share from 2.8% to 3.9% through targeted assortment expansion and customer-focused product interventions.
• Launched a new fashion vertical generating $2.4M revenue and achieving 31.2% market share within the first season.
• Developed value-fashion programs for Tier 2 and Tier 3 markets, expanding customer reach and accelerating incremental sales growth.
• Optimized inventory productivity through markdown planning, catalogue rationalization, and sell-through improvement — reducing excess inventory exposure.
• Standardized product specifications for a leading menswear category, reducing lead times by 20%+ and launch timelines by 30%.

Senior Product Manager | Buying, Merchandising & Category Planning - Arvind Lifestyle Pvt. Ltd. - Bangalore

(2014-05 - 2019-11)

Led buying strategy, assortment planning, merchandise management, pricing architecture, and vendor partnerships across international apparel brands spanning EBOs, SIS, and e-commerce channels.

• Managed seasonal buying plans and merchandise financial targets across EBOs, SIS formats, and e-commerce channels — consistently delivering sell-through targets and inventory productivity goals season-on-season.
• Developed customer-centric assortments informed by trend forecasting and consumer insights, improving category productivity and strengthening full-price sell-through performance across channels.
• Partnered with global brand HQs to define assortment architecture, option counts, size curves, and pricing ladders — aligning local range decisions to consumer demand and commercial targets.
• Negotiated commercial terms, MOQ commitments, and sourcing strategies with global and domestic vendors — improving cost efficiency and inventory turn while maintaining brand quality standards.
• Collaborated with planning and merchandising teams to optimize stock levels and reduce markdown exposure, improving full-price sell-through and protecting gross margin.
• Drove pricing optimization and promotional planning initiatives that enhanced category competitiveness and accelerated sales velocity across retail and online channels.
• Built strong supplier partnerships ensuring consistent quality, cost competitiveness, and on-time delivery — supporting sustained brand growth across seasons.

Senior Product Merchandiser – Product Development & Sourcing - Texport Syndicate - Bangalore

(2012-09 - 2014-01)

Managed end-to-end product development and sourcing for international fashion brands across European markets.

• Delivered 65 SMS samples within a 30-day timeline, directly contributing to a 5-million-unit production order.
• Managed development of 730+ styles across Spring and Fall collections, ensuring on-time execution from concept through bulk production.
• Coordinated buyer communication, costing, sourcing, sample approvals, and production tracking to consistently meet delivery commitments.
• Managed procurement and SAP-based production planning to ensure supply chain readiness and production efficiency.

Merchandiser - Bombay Rayon Fashion Ltd.

(2011-01 - 2012-08)

Managed production merchandising for export apparel programs, ensuring compliance with buyer specifications, quality standards, and delivery commitments.

Planning & Merchandising - Roverco Apparel

(2010-01 - 2010-12)

Supported production planning, merchandising coordination, and order execution for export apparel businesses.

Production Operations Manager - Triumph International

(2009-06 - 2009-12)

Managed production operations, quality compliance, and manufacturing efficiency for a leading global intimatewear brand (Triumph).

Bachelor of Fashion Technology (B.FTech) - Apparel Production & Merchandising - National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), Chennai (2005 - 2009)