Prashant Bhargava
About Prashant Bhargava
Prashant Bhargava is a Senior Manager and Category Buyer in Infra Sourcing at Bharti Airtel Limited, where he focuses on operational expenditure reduction. With over 15 years of experience in supply chain management, he has successfully implemented various cost-saving measures and sourcing processes.
Work at Airtel
Prashant Bhargava has been employed at Bharti Airtel Limited since 2009, holding various positions over the years. Currently, he serves as a Senior Manager - Category Buyer - Infra Sourcing, a role he has occupied since 2018 in Gurgaon, India. In this position, he is responsible for managing the operational expenditure (Opex) for REG Sites, with a current spend of 110Cr and a target reduction of 30Cr. He has previously worked as Head - Purchase from 2014 to 2018 and as Assistant Manager-SCM in Tower Co. operations from 2011 to 2014, both in Jaipur Area, India.
Education and Expertise
Prashant Bhargava holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Materials Management from the Indian Institute of Materials Management, where he studied from 2002 to 2005. He also earned a Post Graduate Diploma in Export-Import from The ICFAI University, Tripura, completing his studies there from 2009 to 2010. Additionally, he obtained a Bachelor's Degree in Business/Commerce from the Commerce College of Rajasthan University, Jaipur, from 1997 to 2001. His educational background supports his expertise in procurement, logistics, and supply chain management.
Background
Before joining Bharti Airtel Limited, Prashant Bhargava worked at WorldSpace as a Senior Executive in Procurement & Logistics from 2006 to 2008 in New Delhi Area, India. He also held the position of Assistant Manager - Commercial in the IPTV Division at HFCL Infotel Ltd. from 2008 to 2009 in Gurgaon, India. His diverse experience in procurement and supply chain management has contributed to his current role at Airtel.
Achievements
Prashant Bhargava has successfully implemented various cost-saving initiatives during his tenure at Bharti Airtel. He generated a savings of 3.5Cr by negotiating better rates for the DG project compared to Infratel. He also achieved a 24% proven saving of Rs. 15Cr by revising a civil electrical contract, expanding the number of partners from 5 to 22 across India. Additionally, he has successfully changed the AMC Model of Cummins DG Sets, resulting in a saving of 2Cr.
Sourcing and Procurement Strategies
In his current role, Prashant Bhargava has implemented e-sourcing, reverse auction, RFP, and RFQ processes, along with process digitization and automation. He utilizes the ICERTIS tool for agreements to ensure sourcing at competitive prices in a transparent manner. His strategic approach to procurement has contributed to significant operational efficiencies and cost reductions.