Ajay Kumar

About Ajay Kumar

As Chief Procurement Officer at Essel Mining & Industries Limited, part of the Aditya Birla Group, I lead procurement functions for a diversified commercial mining business. My role emphasizes strategic sourcing, contract management, and supply chain optimization to support large-scale initiatives, including a 34 MTPA greenfield coal project and a ₹3400 Cr CAPEX. I focus on delivering procurement excellence to drive business growth and operational efficiency. With over 19 years of experience across the mining, metals, and power sectors, my expertise lies in cost optimization, vendor management, and implementing advanced contracting models. Passionate about sustainable practices, I contribute to green energy strategies and CSR initiatives, leveraging procurement as a strategic tool to enhance value creation and align with organizational goals.

Experience

1. Chief Procurement Officer

   Essel Mining And Industries Limited

   Oct 2022 — Present · Kolkata, IN

   Responsible for all end to end procurement activities at Essel Mining & Industries Limited, a commercial mining company within the Aditya Birla Group. Key responsibilities and achievements include:• Driving Business Growth: Providing procurement and supply chain leadership to support a 20% business expansion through a 34mn, MTPA greenfield coal project in Odisha and Madhya Pradesh. Managing procurement for major project packages, including design engineering, CHP, HEMM, E&I, railways, in-plant and non-plant infrastructure, townships, Schools & driving CSR initiatives.• Capex Cost Management: Ensuring zero cost overlays on a ₹3400 Cr Project CAPEX by adapting to the most advanced and effective technology available, implementing world-class procurement practices focused on cost-effectiveness, speed of execution, and alignment with ESG goals for ABG group.• Opex Cost Reduction: Driving an YoY 8% cost reduction in Opex across multiple operations, including an existing 18 mn MTPA coal MDO (Odisha & Jharkhand), a 1mn MTPA pelletization plant (Odisha), and a 0.03 mn MTPA ferro alloy plant (Gujarat).• Commodity Procurement: Guiding team for procurement of varied market-linked commodities such as iron ore, lime, furnace oil, diesel, molybdenum, vanadium, and other chemicals.• Team Leadership: Mentoring and coaching a team of 25+ supply chain experts and project specialists across seven locations in India, fostering adaptability to the evolving digital and automation landscape in the supply chain industry

Education

• University Business School, Panjab University

  Master of Business Administration - MBA, Marketing

• Punjab Engineering College

  Bachelor of Engineering - BE, Metallurgical Engineering

Skills

• Sourcing & Procurement
• Procurement
• Materials Management
• Logistics
• Engineering
• Business Strategy
• Negotiation
• Management
• Sourcing
• Vendor Management
• Factory
• Team Management
• Reverse Auctions
• E-Procurement
• Management Information Systems (Mis)
• Mis
• Contract Management
• Supply Chain Management
• Strategic Sourcing
• Project Planning