ROHIT DARODKAR
“ You ’ ve got the challenge of generating demand for a particular product , having a proper strategy in place to support that demand , and ensuring the cost of the product still makes sense for it to be developed , manufactured and sold in Australia ”
— Rohit Darodkar , Global Procurement and Logistics Manager
222 a dedicated focus on continuous improvement of end to end supply chain management ,” says Darodkar , reflecting on his early career .
“ In Australia , Mahindra was established in 2007 and I joined in 2010 , so it was a really new organisation for the Australian market whilst already having a huge domestic footprint in India .” During his time with Mahindra , Darodkar was deeply involved in post-system development and the establishment of effective supply chain strategies for the company ’ s work in Australia , a drastically different business environment to its native India .
“ The Australian market is very different to other corners of the world ,” he says . “ The majority gets manufactured in China , Korea or Thailand ; very little is local . The supply chain therefore becomes a strategic challenge because you cannot simply store these parts on your shelf . You have to order a certain amount to make it logical to pay freight charges on particular parts .” The question , Darodkar elaborates , is how to justify bulk orders from overseas when the demand for the related parts isn ’ t there . In addition to that , the lead time for such orders , along with the cost , must also be carefully balanced to avoid
FEBRUARY 2020