Group Chief Operating Officer / Chief Manufacturing Officer—Corporate-Level Executive
Table of Contents
The Corporate Executive: Group COO / Chief Manufacturing Officer
Group COOs and Chief Manufacturing Officers lead all manufacturing operations at corporate level—multi-division, multi-country oversight, corporate strategy. They earn ₹3,50,000-7,00,000/month with total compensation exceeding ₹1-2 crore+ annually.
This is one of the highest manufacturing leadership positions, typically reporting to CEO or President.
What Group COOs Do
Corporate Strategy (40%):
- Define group manufacturing strategy
- Set corporate operational targets
- Portfolio optimization
- Capital allocation across businesses
- Technology and innovation strategy
- Competitive advantage planning
Portfolio Oversight (35%):
- Monitor performance of all business units/facilities
- Identify underperforming operations
- Implement improvements across portfolio
- Share best practices
- Optimize asset utilization
- Risk management across portfolio
Leadership & Organization (15%):
- Lead corporate manufacturing organization
- Develop manufacturing leaders globally
- Build manufacturing capability
- Succession planning for key roles
- Organizational effectiveness
Board & Investor (10%):
- Board presentations and updates
- Investor communications
- Financial reporting
- Strategic guidance to board
- Risk and compliance oversight
Key Responsibilities
Strategic (55%):
- Manufacturing strategy for group
- Portfolio optimization
- Growth strategy
- Digital and technology strategy
- Competitive advantage
- Long-term planning
Operational (30%):
- Business unit and facility performance
- P&L across all operations (often ₹1,000+ crore)
- Operational excellence
- Improvement initiatives
- Compliance and risk management
Leadership (15%):
- Organization development
- Talent development and retention
- Leadership development
- Culture and values
Critical Skills
- Strategic business planning at corporate level
- Portfolio management
- Large-scale P&L management
- Global/multi-country operations
- Financial acumen
- Leadership of large organizations (1,000+ employees)
- Executive presence
- Board-level communication
- Industry knowledge and credibility
Salary Expectations
Group COO / Chief Manufacturing Officer:
₹3,50,000 – ₹7,00,000/month base salary
Plus: Performance bonus (typically 100-150% of base), Stock options (often 1-3% of company), Executive benefits package
Total Annual Compensation:
₹80-160+ lakhs per annum base, ₹1.5-3+ crores with bonus and stock
President / CEO (Promotion from COO):
₹7,00,000 – ₹20,00,000+/month
Entry Requirements
- 22+ years manufacturing/business experience
- 12-15 years in senior executive roles (VP, director level)
- Multi-division or multi-country management
- Large P&L accountability (₹200+ crore)
- Strategic leadership at executive level
- Board-level exposure
- International/global experience
- Strong executive presence
- Industry recognition and credibility
Typical Career Path to COO
- Years 1-5: Engineer/specialist roles
- Years 5-10: Plant/facility management
- Years 10-15: Director/VP roles (business unit or function)
- Years 15-20: VP or Plant Director roles
- Years 20-22: COO or equivalent role
The Bottom Line
Group COOs are among the highest manufacturing executives. Complete portfolio P&L responsibility. Corporate strategy setting. Board participation. Executive compensation and benefits. Clear path to President/CEO.
Entry ₹3,50,000-7,00,000 + major bonus/stock → annual compensation ₹1.5-3+ crores. This represents the pinnacle of manufacturing management career.