Strategic Industry Leader Delivering Growth, Efficiency & Global Impact
Santosh Shivdas Gaikwad is a distinguished operations leader with a 24-year career spanning Automobile, Heavy Engineering, Electronics, IT-ITES, Textile, and Industrial Process Equipment Manufacturing. His journey reflects consistent excellence in transforming complex manufacturing ecosystems through Lean, Six Sigma, and enterprise-wide operational innovations. “Offering a career of nearly 24 years in directing the entire gamut of production / industrial across… industries”
Beginning his career at Larsen & Toubro, Santosh built strong technical foundations before advancing through pivotal roles at Honeywell, Coats India, SPX Flow, and Sulzer Pumps India.
At Honeywell, he led major Lean deployments, mentored improvement teams, and achieved critical inventory and supply chain targets. His leadership in Six Sigma earned him multiple recognitions, including the Champions Trophy for inventory reduction. “Drove and completed Lean deployment projects… Trained the Supply Chain Team on Lean methodology…”
At Coats India, he managed eight manufacturing units and delivered measurable productivity improvements, including increased per‑shift output and reduced manpower through structured IE interventions. His PAN‑India projects significantly enhanced OEE, energy efficiency, and lead times.
Santosh’s tenure at SPX Flow marked a defining phase of global impact. As Global Operations Excellence Leader and later Operations Director – India, he supervised APAC and European units, achieved 10% YOY revenue growth, delivered productivity savings, sustained key certifications, and drove world‑class Value Stream Transformations. “Met India Operations Revenue Growth Plans of $54M… generated $200k+ Manufacturing Productivity Savings…”
Today, as VP – Operations at Sulzer Pumps India, he leads two major plants, oversees ₹900 Cr operations revenue, modernizes manufacturing systems, and drives strategic initiatives such as OH2 VSM, Global Virtual Business, and digitalization. His leadership has earned prestigious awards, including the Role Model and Excellence Award from Sulzer’s CEO for “leading Value Stream Transformation Efforts”
Santosh’s career exemplifies dedication, innovation, and transformative leadership—making him a truly deserving nominee for the Indian Achievers Award.
