As one of India’s leading footwear brands and the largest market within the Bata global network, Bata India has built a resilient, largely self-reliant supply chain that supports nearly 2,000 stores and a growing omnichannel business. In this interview, Anjan Kundu, Head – Supply Chain Management, Bata India & Africa, discusses how the company is navigating geopolitical uncertainties, leveraging AI and predictive analytics to improve demand planning, strengthening domestic manufacturing, and accelerating omnichannel fulfilment. He also shares Bata’s approach to sustainability, operational resilience and the capabilities businesses must develop to build future-ready, customer-centric supply chains in an increasingly volatile global environment.
Bata operates one of the largest footwear supply chains across India and Africa. In an environment shaped by geopolitical conflicts, trade policy shifts and logistics disruptions, how has Bata redefined its supply chain strategy to remain resilient while keeping costs under control?
India is Bata’s largest market globally, contributing nearly one-third of Bata’s global business. That scale has enabled us to build a supply chain that is largely self-reliant, where 99% of material is manufactured in India.
We have a strong domestic manufacturing and sourcing network supported by two manufacturing units and an extensive partner ecosystem. Over the last few years,our strategy has focused on consolidation, scale and capability building. We have consciously reduced the number of manufacturing partners, moving towards fewer but larger partners with whom we can drive better economies of scale, stronger capability investments and greater operational efficiency.
At the same time, we continue to invest in design, technology and planning capabilities across our network. We have strengthened inventory visibility and collaboration between manufacturing, procurement and retail to improve responsiveness and product availability.
Bata serves millions of consumers across diverse markets with varying demand patterns. How are technologies such as AI, predictive analytics and automation helping Bata improve demand forecasting, inventory management and overall supply chain agility?
Technology today is helping us move from forecasting based on broad market assumptions to planning based on actual consumer demand. At Bata India, initiatives such as Zero-Based Merchandising (ZBM) enable us to curate assortments at a store level rather than follow a one-size-fits-all approach. Every store caters to a different consumer profile, and our supply chain is designed to respond accordingly.
Alongside this, Project Customer First has strengthened our focus on delivering a seamless consumer experience, from better product availability and smoother returns to faster fulfilment across both physical and digital channels. We have enhanced collaboration across vendors, manufacturing and retail, enabling quicker replenishment cycles. We are also leveraging AI and machine learning for demand forecasting, along with initiatives such as milk-run night dispatches, which have reduced our replenishment timeline from more than 11 days to nearly 5 days.
These initiatives have significantly improved inventory visibility and planning across our network. The objective is simple: reduce stockouts, minimise excess inventory and ensure our best-selling products are available where customers need them. With nearly 2,000 stores and a growing omnichannel business, technology has become a key enabler of a more agile, responsive and consumer-centric supply chain.
How is Bata evolving its supply chain to respond faster to market changes while ensuring product availability across its retail and digital channels?
Consumer expectations have changed significantly over the last few years. Today, customers expect the same product to be available whether they shop in-store, online or through quick commerce platforms. That has fundamentally changed how supply chains operate.
At Bata India, our focus is on building one integrated omnichannel supply chain instead of managing separate channels. Inventory visibility across stores, warehouses and digital platforms enables us to fulfil demand faster while improving inventory productivity.
As we expand our presence among younger consumers through categories such as sneakers and casual footwear, speed has become increasingly important. Shorter replenishment cycles, better demand planning and closer integration between merchandising and supply chain help us respond faster to changing consumer preferences while maintaining high service levels across every touchpoint.
This is an abridged version of the Interview published in the August edition of the Logistics Insider Magazine-India. To read the complete story, click here.
