Our People
At a time when the 75-year-old refinery was grappling with a fragmented workforce, deeply ingrained inefficiencies, declining manpower productivity and mounting external pressures, Muri needed someone who could look beyond the machinery and transform the work environment with both courage and empathy. Arun Rai, despite lacking formal experience in HR, was tasked with bringing Muri back to its former glory.
Arun truly embodies the principle ’practice what you preach’. To instil a strong safety culture, he set a personal example by adopting safety guidelines himself. His commitment to fairness and inclusivity was evident when he paused the annual football match until contract workers were allowed to participate. Additionally, Arun took several courageous steps with his team and senior leadership to break free from the legacy practices that hindered Muri’s progress.
Two years later, the results are undeniable. Despite working with the same legacy workforce, Muri nearly doubled its productivity in terms of product dispatch. Moreover, the plant is on track to transform the remaining 35% of its dispatch capacity into high-value specialty alumina. This aligns with the vision to make Muri a 100% specialty alumina unit, a strategic shift that marks a remarkable transformation for the Muri Unit.
The winner of the prestigious ‘Hindalco Role Model’ award at Hindalco’s annual cultural meet, Arun attributes his success to the unwavering belief that Hindalco’s leadership had in his potential.
