RAJAT KUMAR AGRAWALGroup Chief Operating Officer
Email
rajatag471@gmail.com
Phone
+91 96199 15292 | +971 50 963 5017
Location
Noida (Delhi NCR), India
Open to relocation – UAE / GCC & International
LinkedIn
linkedin.com/in/rajat-agarwal-3793906b
Executive Summary
Transformation-focused Group COO with 28 years of leadership across FMCG, food & beverage, confectionery and fragrance, spanning India, the Middle East, Africa and Europe. Currently leads end-to-end operations for a ₹350 Cr multi-brand FMCG group — 16 functions, 432 people and five sites — growing revenue 48% in one year (₹236 Cr to ₹350 Cr), lifting EBITDA from 4% to 7% and cutting inventory days from 69 to 32 while converting a founder-led business into a process-driven corporate organisation. Track record of building brands from zero, setting up FDI plants in Africa and opening markets in 25+ countries, with hands-on command of plants, supply chain, quality, cost and capital. Seeking a Group / Global COO role with a brand-led consumer company scaling multi-site operations across markets.
Professional Experience
Group Chief Operating Officer, Aroson Foods Pvt. Ltd. (ASOP Group)

₹350 Cr multi-brand FMCG group — SNACC, JAGURR, APLUS, ALLWAZE, BIOAGE, ERA VEDIC — with sites at Roorkee, Ranchi, Purnea, Nawanshahr and Regus, and warehousing in Noida. Reports to the founders.

  • •Grew group revenue from ₹236 Cr to ₹350 Cr (+48%) in one year while improving EBITDA from 4% to 7%, scaling capacity, operations and channels.
    • 12/2025 – PresentIndia
  • •Lead 16 functions and 432 people — production, QA, supply chain, NPD, HR, finance, marketplace operations and international expansion — as the single point of operational accountability and strategic advisor to the founders.
  • •Run multi-site operations across five locations with 250 MT/month combined capacity (~₹40 Cr/month) — 150 MT groceries (~₹25 Cr) and 100 MT healthy snacking (~₹15 Cr) — under one operating model with site-level KPIs.
  • •Deploy ₹38 Cr capex (~11% of revenue) for steady-state operations; own capacity planning and make-vs-buy decisions across own plants and contract-manufacturing / conversion partners.
  • •Delivered 8% savings in purchase and operating costs and cut inventory days from 69 to 32, releasing working capital through strategic sourcing, inventory discipline and process controls.
  • •Transformed a founder-led MSME into a structured corporate organisation — AOP, budgets, forecasting, KPIs, SOPs, ERP governance, MIS dashboards and automated task cascading.
  • •Relaunched and scaled SNACC, APLUS and ALLWAZE, created JAGURR from concept, and built a GT, MT, E-commerce and Quick Commerce route-to-market.
  • •Leading international entry into UAE/GCC, Singapore, Canada and Europe, with food-safety, QA and regulatory compliance across all sites and export readiness for target markets.
    • Chief Business Officer | GM – International Business, Ban Group of Companies

    Promoted from General Manager – International Business (Dec 2023 – Nov 2024) to lead the group’s combined domestic and international business.

  • •Built the international business from zero: 29 distributors across 14 countries in 6 months and US$ 3.26M revenue in the first half-year.
    • 12/2023 – 10/2025India / UAE
  • •Conceptualised and launched the Biscraft biscuit brand, reaching ₹2.5 Cr/month within 1.5 months; launched the Signature perfume line and Charm & Glow personal care brand.
  • •Expanded into North India, UAE, Singapore, Bahrain and West Africa; introduced reporting structures, budget forecasting and key-account planning to build a high-performance culture.
    • Senior Sourcing & Business Development Specialist, GTE Petrochem DMCC

    Led procurement; onboarded 38 suppliers and 32 new raw-material sources across Asia and Europe, renegotiating contracts for cost efficiency; built Perfumery, Home Care and Personal Care verticals.

    05/2023 – 12/2023Dubai, UAE
    General Manager – Global Business Development, F&F International
  • •Launched luxury perfume brand AL ZAYRA in 17 countries in year one, delivering US$ 3.63M first-year revenue, with channel partners across Europe, CIS, Africa, the GCC, the USA and the UK.
  • •Led procurement and sales of essential oils, isolates and specialty chemicals; owned sales, marketing and manpower budgets.
    • 12/2021 – 04/2023Dubai, UAE
    General Manager, Samarsh MEP Solutions
  • •Headed pan-India GT/MT and Africa, SAARC, USA, CIS and Middle East markets; ₹39 Cr in 2020 despite COVID.
  • •Relaunched HOPPIN Confectionery to ₹2.5 Cr/month in 3 months and launched Affoscent and Isak Fragrance to ₹3.5 Cr/month in 6 months — both recognised by state governments as the fastest-growing brands in their categories.
    • 04/2019 – 04/2021Mumbai, India
    General Manager, Botanic Essential Oil Mfg. PLC
  • •Set up FDI essential-oil manufacturing plants in Ethiopia and Burundi from scratch — feasibility, ministry-level approvals, installation, trial production and team building — and restructured the Uganda plant.
  • •Negotiated sourcing contracts with ministries and research institutes for regulated botanicals; exported to 7 African countries and Europe.
    • 10/2016 – 04/2019Ethiopia
    Core Competencies
    Strategy & Leadership

    Corporate Strategy & AOP, P&L Management, Organisational Transformation, Global Operating Model Design, Board & Founder Advisory, M&A, JV & Strategic Partnerships, Leadership, Talent & Succession

    Governance & Compliance

    Food Safety & QA (FSSAI, HACCP, ISO 22000), Export Certifications, Regulatory & Government Liaison, Risk, ESG & Business Continuity, SOPs, KPIs, MIS & ERP-led Digital Transformation

    Operations Excellence

    Multi-Site Manufacturing, Plant Set-up & Capacity Planning, Capex & Working Capital, S&OP, Lean / Six Sigma / OEE, Global Supply Chain & Strategic Sourcing, Contract Manufacturing & Co-packing

    Commercial Growth

    International Market Entry & Exports, Brand Creation & Launches, GT / MT / E-commerce / Quick Commerce GTM, Distributor & Key Account Management, Pricing, Costing & Margins

    Earlier Career
    Senior Plant & Marketing Director (Contract), Haldiram Bhujiawala

    Multi-division factory operations: production planning, QA, costing, inventory, and ATL/BTL/digital marketing.

    2016 – 2016Kolkata
    Director – Operations & Business Development, Rich Beverages & Foods

    Launched tea and juice brands across nine Indian states; built exports to Europe, Japan, Russia, Singapore and the UAE.

    2005 – 2015Chandigarh
    Director – Operations & Marketing, Rich Nutri Foods

    Ran manufacturing, sales and marketing for the ‘Rich’ and ‘Sir’ biscuit brands; exported to 10 countries across Asia, the Middle East and Europe.

    1998 – 2004Kolkata
    Awards & Recognition
    Transformation COO Leader of the Year, Empiric Business Media
    01/07/2026
    Fastest-Growing Confectionery Brand (HOPPIN), Government of Madhya Pradesh

    2020–21

    Fastest-Growing Perfume Brand (Affoscent), Government of Gujarat

    2019–20

    Advisory Engagements
    Technical Consultant, White Pearl Rice Mills Ltd.

    Botanical extraction venture, from cultivation to licensing and market entry.

    Pakistan
    Project Design, One World Pharmaceuticals PLC

    Medicinal-botanical and confectionery processing.

    Ethiopia
    Education & Certifications
    MBA – Business Administration & Marketing; B.Com., Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Avadh University
    Faizabad
    PG Diploma – Medicinal Cannabis & CBD Oil, Centre of Excellence
    UK
    Executive training
  • •Strategic Management (International Business Management Institute, USA)
  • •Business Mgmt, Ops Research & MSME Leadership (IIBM)
  • •Digital Marketing (IIDE)
  • •Aromatherapy (NAHA/CAHP)