Hindustan Zinc has elevated Suman Saurav to head of HR at its Zinc Smelter Debari and Central Research and Development Laboratory (CRDL), strengthening the human resources leadership at its Debari operations.
Saurav took charge in November 2026, having served as deputy CHRO at Zinc Smelter Debari since December 2024. Before that, he was lead HR at Hindustan Zinc from February 2023 to December 2024, overseeing several aspects of the people function, including industrial relations, employee relations, labour law compliance and workforce management.
In his previous role, Saurav was responsible for managing union relationships, wage negotiations and long-term settlements, besides handling employee grievances and statutory compliance. His responsibilities also covered workmen establishment and contract workforce management, including payroll administration, shift management, employee welfare and safety compliance. He has experience managing employee relations in a unionised industrial environment.
Before moving into HR leadership at Hindustan Zinc, Saurav spent nearly seven years at Bharat Aluminium Company (BALCO), where he worked in technical and operational roles at its aluminium smelter.
He joined BALCO as shift In-charge in June 2012, managing operational and technical activities and monitoring process parameters. He subsequently became shift superintendent in January 2014, overseeing complete shift operations and managing a team of more than 40, including shift engineers, process technicians and contract workers.
In May 2016, he took on the role of technical In-charge, which he held until February 2023. His responsibilities included managing potline operations, monitoring safety and current efficiency, controlling specific power consumption and stabilising process parameters to maintain metal purity and raw material efficiency. His experience also includes working with energy-efficient cathode technologies.
His transition from technical operations to HR has given him exposure to both the operational requirements of large industrial facilities and the people-management challenges associated with manufacturing environments.
Saurav holds a Bachelor of Technology degree in Chemical Engineering from Haldia Institute of Technology, and an MBA in Human Resource Management from DY Patil Institute of Distance Learning.
