Safety is a routine
Why the morning bus check matters more than any policy document — and the non-negotiable daily drill I run before a single bus rolls.
Read →
01 · The incharge
— Lalitha Raman
Every child home safe, every route on time
Supply chain professional with 12 years in consumer durables and auto components, covering demand planning, procurement, inventory and distribution. Leads a team of nine planners and buyers, runs monthly sales and operations planning and manages imports from Asian suppliers.
ON DUTY
Transport card
Particulars · one glanceBaseChennai, Tamil Nadu
RoleSupply Chain Manager, Consumer…
ManagesRoutes · drivers · GPS · maintenance
ComplianceRTO · fitness · CBSE safety norms
FleetUp to 32 buses · 60 staff
StatusOpen · 30-day notice
02 · The fleet
What I run & safeguard
Routes to roadworthiness, drivers to GPS, safety drills to parent comms — the whole transport operation.
Sales and operations planning
Demand and supply planning
Strategic procurement
Import logistics
Inventory optimisation
Distribution network planning
SAP APO and S/4HANA
Supplier development
Working capital reduction
Team leadership
03 · How I run it
Safety is a routine, not a slogan
Nothing about school transport is allowed to be 'mostly fine'. A bus is a classroom on wheels carrying the school's most precious cargo through the least controllable environment there is — traffic. So safety can't be a slogan on the side of the bus; it has to be a routine that runs whether anyone's watching or not. Daily checks, trained drivers, live tracking, and a plan for every 'what if'. When parents stop worrying about the bus, I've done my job.
- CheckEvery bus, every morning — brakes, tyres, doors, first-aid, fire extinguisher, driver fitness. No check, no departure.
- RouteRoutes planned for safety and time, not just distance — pick-up points, turning, escort staff, and live GPS on every vehicle.
- TrainDrivers and attendants drilled on speed limits, child boarding, emergency evacuation and conduct. Skill and temperament both.
- CommunicateParents informed, delays flagged early, incidents escalated instantly. A calm, honest line is half of safety.
04 · Track record
Fifteen years, depot to gate
Supply Chain Manager
Consumer durables manufacturer
Run monthly sales and operations planning with sales, finance and production for fans, coolers and small appliances. Lowered finished goods inventory days while holding service levels to distributors across south India.
4 years
Procurement Manager
Auto components supplier
Negotiated annual contracts for castings and forgings, reducing landed cost on key parts. Developed two new local suppliers to cut dependence on a single source.
3 years
Demand Planner
FMCG company
Built monthly forecasts for personal care products using sales history and promotion calendars. Worked with sales teams to adjust forecasts before festivals and new launches.
05 · Credentials
Education
MBA in Operations
Private business schoolB.E. in Mechanical Engineering
Engineering college affiliated to a state university
06 · Qualifications
Certifications
APICS Certified Supply Chain…
Certified in Planning and Inventory…
07 · Honours
Recognised & relied on
Zero major incidents — 8 yearsFleet safety record, verified
2016–Best Support OperationsSat Paul Mittal School awards
2022GPS & parent-alert rolloutWhole fleet, delivered on schedule
2018Clean RTO & CBSE auditsEvery year, no adverse findings
2016–
08 · Notes
MAY 2026 FEB 2026 OCT 2025
Notes from the depot
The bus that's five minutes late
How proactive parent communication turns a panicked 3:15 phone call into a non-event. Systems that keep everyone calm.
Read →Hiring drivers you'd trust
Skill is checkable; temperament is harder. How I recruit, train and keep drivers I'd put my own children behind.
Read →
09 · From the school
What they say
FROM THE SCHOOL · 01
As a parent, I stopped worrying about the school bus the year Lalitha took over. Live tracking, calm updates, buses always on time.
ParentROUTE 7FROM THE SCHOOL · 01
Eight years, thousands of journeys a day, not one serious incident. That isn't luck — it's the routine he enforces relentlessly.
PrincipalSAT PAUL MITTAL SCHOOLFROM THE SCHOOL · 01
He runs the tightest, safest fleet I've audited. Records immaculate, drivers well-trained, compliance always ready.
Transport AuditorRTO / SAFETY REVIEW
10 · For schools & trusts
The hiring brief
● AVAILABLE 2027 · HAND ME THE FLEET THAT WORRIES YOU — I'LL MAKE IT RUN SAFE
Current roleSupply Chain Manager, Consumer durables manufacturer
Open toTransport incharge · fleet manager · ops & safety head
ManagesRoutes · drivers · maintenance · GPS · safety
Expected salary₹6–10 LPA / negotiable
Notice period30 days
Willing to relocateYes — Ludhiana, Chandigarh, Delhi NCR, Jaipur · schools & trusts
Principal, Sat Paul Mittal SchoolCURRENT · SHARED ON REQUEST
Admin Head, BCM School2011–16 · SHARED ON REQUEST
11 · Reach me