Aloke Gupta
Alpar International Pte Ltd
Helping companies to leverage their knowhow and develop markets globally
My Skills & Experience
I’m pleased to invite you to explore my work, skills and professional experience, and get to know a bit more about me and my company. I make it a point of seeking out challenges in the professional realm and have done so consistently throughout my life.
I am looking forward to being associated with exciting new projects and assignments and am certain my rich and varied experience will hold me in good stead.
While I am the presently the only resource in the company I can as required quite easily tap on the expertise and knowledge of the several colleagues I have had the fortune to be associated with.
Take a moment to look around, and contact me directly to learn more.
Get To Know Me
My Background
I am one of those people in the world who has had the opportunity to pursue the career they love.
Summarising my career, it has been around making the optimal technological and market based decisions across a multitude of products from TV broadcast and Consumer Electronics transitioning to Packaged Food businesses.
I’m excited to see what projects could benefit from my skill set.
I was born in April 1956 in Yangon, Myanmar, am an Indian citizen and have Permanent Resident status in Singapore.
Experience
Areas of Expertise
Business Development
In my many years of experience I have found many unique and valuable approaches that have resulted in valuable returns for my company. Some of them are -
Building a range of mid price point TVs which brought in huge growth in cash flows from all the global markets.
Creating a 20" TV for the US market which never had the size and brought a significant premium over the prevailing products.
Developing an outsourced business model for CRT TV serving all markets in the world.
Creating the Centurion market approach that helped CTV business in India grow to a #3 brand.
Starting up with Alpar Intl an independent business of television sales from China to Venezuela together with Venezuela based ex colleagues which realised over $1 mn sales. Unfortunately had to cease due to forex and money transfer issues with Venezuela customers.
Setting up national sales, distribution and logistics operations for refrigerated food products that quickly grew to a #3 company.
Successfully introduced our products to the export market winning the approval from one of the largest customers in the Middle East.
Overall adding tremendous value to the companies financial results
Project Management
I have been deeply involved in many projects most notably
Leading the Outside Broadcast Van assembly project which in 1981 installed an entire CTV studio on a 11 ton truck chassis. This was the key item in the introduction of colour TV broadcasts in India starting with the Asian Games on 1982. It involved coordinating with the principal engineering in the UK, a local assembly in a unused warehouse in Mumbai, Doordarshan technical teams etc.
In 2007 setting up the outsourcing of mainstream TVs from China which eventually brought in large positive cash flows and extremely good quality as well.
Setting up a manufacturing plant in Hyderabad from 2014 to 15 to manufacture Non Dairy Whipping Cream with technology of Fuji Oil, Japan. This involved supporting and facilitating experts from Japan, local agencies, engineering consultants, building contractors and many other agencies. The factory was commissioned in 18 months and produced top quality products.
Executing complex time bound projects punctually and within costs.
Product Management
This has been my most productive area and I have personally developed a TV for Philips India which brought us a lot of revenue, market share and took us to the #3 position in the market in mid 90s.
When I joined Philips Singapore my primary function was to oversee the product strategy and planning for global mainstream TVs that formed a large part of the TV business. We had many notable products including a voice controlled TV.
In the non dairy whipping cream market we successfully adapted products to meet key customer requirements and thereby get a large share of their business.
Helped to make great differentiated products that help businesses to succeed
People Management
Working closely with my teams was one of the most enjoyable and fruitful aspects of my career. Together we achieved many tasks previously not expected thanks to the high degree of engagement and commitment by the teams. When our management decided to launch Philips branded TVs (foreign brands were not permitted at the time) we scrambled to put together winning products and bringing them to market with fantastic results.
In the non dairy business we rallied together as a team when the Covid pandemic disrupted operations to regroup, restructure and revitalise our sales operations. We were able to convert credit sales to cash sales and also collect our dues from our customers. All this while growing at pre pandemic levels. Excellent coordination and teamwork were the key to this.
The results from good teams is always performance well in excess of the sum of the parts.
Alpar International Pte Ltd
Alpar was founded in 2009 to start activities of sales of consumer electronics products sourced from China to customers in Venezuela. An ex colleague from Philips assisted me in this and together we were able to make a very promising start. Later however, foreign currency issues with Venezuela made it impossible to make progress.
We did however, have very good quality of operations and met all delivery schedules. We had no quality issues of any kind.
While most certainly my own skills and expertise is available I can also secure additional support to supplement as required by the project. My connections can assist us to cover wide geographies and functions in areas such as marketing, sourcing, outsourcing, project management and much more.
Professional History
My Qualifications
Oct 2020 -
CEO, Alpar International
I have now restarted Alpar to provide consultancy and advisory operations.
June 2014 - Sept 2020
CEO 3F Fuji Foods Pvt Ltd
I was associated with the firm from its inception phase and started off as the COO and from 2018 as the CEO. This involved setting up an entire joint venture in Hyderabad from land selection, factory construction, equipment and plant commissioning. Setting up commercial operations for sales across the country and later exports as well. It was a very rewarding and enriching experience.
July 2009 - June 2011
CEO Alpar International
I set up this company to establish sales of Consumer Electronics products from China with the assistance ex colleagues who were based in Venezuela to customers in Venezuela. This ended when payment issues from our Venezuelan customers became too difficult to manage.
August 2000 - June 2009
Philips Singapore Pte Ltd
In this period I worked in the Mainstream TV division and started as a Product Planner to Product Strategy and Planning Manager to GM CRT TV Business. This was an extremely exciting part of my career which involved managing and creating product ranges for global markets and required deep interactions with markets across the world and development teams in Singapore, China and Europe.
January 1988 - August 2000
Sr GM TV Business, Philips India
I started this phase in Kolkata looking after quality activities on TV in remote outsourcing plants and the new Philips factory in Kolkata. Subsequently went on to be the Technical Head of the factory overseeing Development and Quality areas for TV. In 1992 became the Marketing Manager for Colour TV and in 1996 the GM for CTV Business. In this period I oversaw Philips in India developing its indigenous products and in time growing to a #3 position in the market.
August 1978 - Dec 1988
Various, Philips India
My first years of working took me to many varied activities including installations of communication systems at SHAR Sriharikota, sound reinforcement systems at Chowdiah Memorial Hall, communication systems at Kudremukh Iron Ore Company and many others. I was based in Chennai and later Bangalore. In 1980 I moved to Mumbai and in 1981 I was appointed the project leader for manufacturing 4 Outside Broadcast Vans which were responsible for the colour tv broadcast of the Asian Games in 1982 and was the beginning of colour tv broadcasts in India.
Educational History
Learning and Living
March 2009
Asian Executive Development, INSEAD
Extensive and in-depth management programme covering all aspects ofBusiness Management for senior executives.
July 1996
Strategic Planning Course, IIM Ahmedabad
Extensive programme for developing business strategies for senior executives.
July 1973 - May 1978
BE Hons Electronics, BITS Pilani
Graduated with a first class BE (Hons) Electronics degree
Graduated Nov 1972
ISC, Hyderabad Public School
Graduated with first Div in ISC
