From the food we eat to the clothes we wear, everything we need is just a few clicks or steps away. But have you ever stopped to think about the process that goes behind getting those products to you? The supply chain and procurement industry play a crucial role in ensuring that goods are manufactured, distributed, and delivered to the end consumer.
And at the forefront of this segment is Milind Tannu, the Head of Procurement and Supply Chain at Nichino India. Milind has had a fulfilling career of 33 years, out of which he has spent 30 years in the chemical industry. He has worked in various departments, including procurement, stores, logistics, and supply chain, and has gained enriching experiences that have helped him excel in his field.
A Journey of Learning
Milind started his career as an Assistant Officer in Purchase department of Bajaj Tempo, Pune, having been exposed to Purchase & Stores function, leading a team of four experienced employees. Since then, he has had several opportunities to work independently, leading most of his assignments. Currently, he is Head of Procurement and Supply Chain at Nichino India, leading a team of 99 employees directly and indirectly.
Milind considers centralizing procurement in a decentralized procuring organization, crafting a supply chain department consisting of procurement, stores, planning, logistics, and distribution functions under one umbrella, and initiating and regularizing procurement from China and South Korea directly without visiting manufacturers' plants, as some of his important milestones.His educational background has been a significant contributor to his success in business. He completed his Bachelor's degree in Commerce from University of Bombay, with Financial Accountancy being his major subject. He later pursued his Master's in Business Administration from University of Pune, with Materials Management as his major subject.
During his MBA summer internship, he got an opportunity to work on an assignment in the purchase department of SKF Pune, a ball bearing manufacturing company, which exposed him to procurement and liaising with stores departments daily. This exposure inspired him to opt for this important service department, i.e., the materials department. He was selected as a management trainee in the materials department of Bajaj Tempo, Pune, through campus selection from University of Pune.
A Strong Pillar of Success
Nichino India, having its parent company Nihon Nohyaku, Japan, established it’s foothold in India in 2015 by partnering with Hyderabad Chemicals, a well-established Indian company started in 1969 and initially manufacturing industrial chemicals such as Chlorinated Paraffin and Phosphoric Acid and later by 1971 began formulating pesticides and also started trading in chemicals and pesticides. In 1993, it started manufacturing pesticide technicals. The company's manufacturing facility was commissioned in 1994, and the initial products manufactured were Fungicide Carbendazim and Synthetic Parathyroid Cypermethrin.
By 2018, Nichino India took over full control of Hyderabad Chemicals by owning it 100 percent. Under Milind's leadership, Nichino India has seen significant growth and expansion. The company established a dedicated R&D facility in 2000 to develop in-house synthesis capabilities, and in 2004, a formulation facility was started in Jammu to cater to the North requirements and take advantage of fiscal benefits. In 2010, a second manufacturing unit was set up at Humnabad, Karnataka, to meet the growing demand for pesticide technicals. And in 2014, the expansion of Formulation facility at Jammu was taken up.
Milind's extensive experience and expertise have been crucial in ensuring the success and growth of Nichino India. His commitment to maintaining an effective quality management system, ensuring continuous improvement in operations, and fostering safety and respect for the environment in all operations has helped the company deliver value to its customers, employees, and society at large.
Under Milind’s leadership, Nichino India has been able to optimize its procurement and supply chain operations, resulting in increased efficiency and cost savings
Expertise & Leadership Philosophy
Milind's expertise in procurement and supply chain management lies in several areas, including hard and proper negotiations with vendors, transparency with vendors, availability of materials for production continuity and efficiency, market intelligence to stay ahead/in line with competitors, supplier relationship management, maximum accuracy in materials requirement planning, active communication with sales teams to make material available for selling, and periodic reviews to ensure activities are on track. His leadership philosophy is a top-down approach, which helps team members realize the importance given by top management to any work or project. He encourages his team to take the lead and motivates them to perform better. It involves holding periodic reviews with his team to assess progress on any work or project they undertake.
Wise Words
“My guidance to young entrepreneurs would be to focus entirely on what end result they would like to achieve. They should calculate backwards the path to success & then start from the beginning. This enables them to know exactly what is required at which stage of the journey. However, in this process, they need to carry people with them (subordinates & superiors) who can be a support system when needed”, Milind concludes.
