Reflections on Two Transformative Years at Hindalco: A Tribute to Exceptional Colleagues

My exciting tenure at Hindalco Specialty Alumina Business has come to an end after two years. As I embark on a journey to pursue my master’s degree, I would like to highlight a few special personalities with whom I have closely interacted and from whom I have gained a wealth of knowledge. I would also like to express my heartfelt gratitude to these individuals.

(Listed in chronological order based on when I first connected with them.)

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? Arindam Dutta – The coolest HR! From an IIT graduate to an HR role. An amazing career shift that I am envious of.

Fav Quality – His knack of conveying both good and bad news in the most appropriate manner with utmost clarity.

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? CS Rai – The operational king! My first teacher at Hindalco. His drive and passion for the alumina business are very encouraging.

Fav Quality – His passion, which led him to guide a batch of 22 fresh graduates on a visit to the 2.12 MTPA plant and answer our many questions so patiently, is something I will never forget.

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? Ananth Avadhoot – The chemical engineering designer. A great intellect with strong experience in designing alumina manufacturing plants.

Fav Quality – His guidance on developing individually as a technical expert was invaluable. He provided us with great career advice during the early phase of our professional careers, which has been very impactful.

? Sankar Sankaranarayanan - The doctor of alumina refinery. A highly knowledgeable technical expert with deep theoretical understanding

Fav Quality – His demonstration of applying chemical engineering calculations to real-life practical problems truly made me fall in love with the technical side

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? Ajit Bhagoji – My first ever reporting manager. I consider myself very lucky to have had the opportunity to work under such a great leader.

Fav Quality – I have always been envious of how he controls the morning meetings and solves problems by collaborating with multiple departments simultaneously.

? Kiran Dev – My engineering buddy! If you have a doubt about the process, connect with Kiran. If you are in a dilemma, Kiran can give you a solution.

Fav Quality – An engineer who didn’t show his ego and with utmost commitment taught and made me understand all he knows.

? Suraj shimpukade – A true brother-like figure in a professional workspace. He would fight for you, be there for you when you need someone, and always wish the best for you.

Fav Quality – His connection with people around him and his aura that attracted people to be on his good side (including operators).

? Sagar badiger – My kindergarten teacher at Hindalco. He taught me about the process issues like teaching ABCs to kids.

Fav Quality – Always open to different perspectives, very broad-minded, and ready to accept things as they are.

? Sandeep Patil – The manager with whom I have openly voiced my personal and professional opinions and points of view. The most impressive characteristic he has, in my opinion, is his ability to manage people.

Fav Quality – His unwavering support, especially for us fresh engineers, to always take up different critical problems within the plant with the huge expectation that we could complete them.

? Abhijeet Bandi – Technical, Technical & Technical. Personally, I adore technical personalities. Add the best traits of a manager, and you get our Unit Head.

Fav Quality – He was so technically involved that he would frequently engage with our department to solve critical technical problems.

? Saurabh Khedekar – The CEO! I marvelled at his perspectives in every review that I attended alongside him. Be it a technical problem or not, his perspective often opened my eyes.

Fav Quality – He made sure that we looked at problems in accordance with the business impacts and how to link technical issues with business goals, as ultimately both are very interlinked.

? Kaushal Kishore Gupta – His commitment to the department. Working hours were never a concern for him as long as it had a positive impact not just on him but on the whole department, whether required or not.

Fav Quality – His team is his own family. He was as committed to addressing our personal issues as if attending to critical issues within the plant.

? Amey Patil – T&P’s Amey Da. We were like children under Amey's responsible care. He created an environment in the department that made us feel secure and well-guided.

Fav Quality – He considers everyone’s perspective and makes decisions for the benefit of all. All collective decision-making for the department is done by Amey.

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The variety of great personalities I have encountered at Hindalco is uncountable. The ability to nourish such leaders has always been the greatest resource of Hindalco. I hope there is never a dearth of such personalities at Hindalco.