Muralidhar S

Mining leader with 22+ years of progressive experience across underground gold mining, open-pit mining, quarrying, limestone, crushing and construction/infrastructure operations. Experienced in multi-site mining operations, short- and long-term production planning, Approved Cost Estimate (ACE) cost control, contractor/subcontractor management, greenfield quarry development, statutory and environmental compliance, drilling & blasting, and cross-functional project execution.

Combines Mining

Engineering, First Class Mine Manager qualification and an MBA in Marketing with hands-on experience in pre-bid site investigation and feasibility assessment for mining projects.

Senior Manager – Mining at LARSEN & TOUBRO LTD (L&T) (2015-07 – 2026-09)

• Directed mining operations across 4 opencast sites; managing a project quantity of 35 lakh MT over a 3-year project life and achieving 30% cost reduction through optimized resource allocation.
• Lead short-term and long-term production planning, aligning production targets, resource requirements, equipment deployment and operational schedules with project execution requirements.
• Maintain project expenditure against the Approved Cost Estimate (ACE) and conduct structured monthly cost-performance reviews, analyzing variances and initiating corrective actions.
• Coordinate cross-functionally with Quality, HSE/Safety, Batching Plants, Stores, Transportation, Accounts and Planning to integrate mining operations with overall project execution.
• Provide day-to-day progress and operational reporting to the Project Director, covering production, resource deployment, equipment performance, constraints and project priorities.
• Conducted site investigations and pre-bid feasibility assessments for 4 mining projects, evaluating regulatory requirements, environmental clearances, mining royalties, local-body requirements, stakeholder/community considerations and execution risks.
• Analyzed drilling & blasting costs, crushing requirements and prevailing market prices for aggregate products; provided technical-commercial inputs to tender teams for competitive bid preparation. Of the 4 projects, 1 was awarded, 1 was not awarded and 2 are in progress.
• Secured statutory approvals including DMG mining leases and MoEF environmental clearances.
• Established 2 greenfield quarries for the MAHSR project, improving material access by 40%.
• Manage subcontractor interfaces and optimize manpower, equipment and resources to improve operational effectiveness and cost efficiency.

Assistant Manager – Mines at THE INDIA CEMENTS LTD (2012-02 – 2015-07)

• Improved blasting fragmentation by 25%, contributing to reduced crusher maintenance requirements.
• Managed relationships with 5+ subcontractors and maintained 95% on-time delivery performance.
• Developed MIS-based monitoring for pit stability and haul-road conditions, supporting operational decision-making.

Under Manager – Mines at HATTI GOLD MINES LTD (2005-03 – 2012-02)

• Built approximately 8 years of underground gold-mining exposure together with opencast gold-mining operations.
• Supervised 100+ personnel and contributed to annual production of 1.1 lakh MT.
• Established 2 new opencast gold-mining sites from greenfield stage.
• Led an award-winning rescue team, securing 3 interstate emergency-response competition wins.

Mining Trainee / Contract Mining Engineer (2002 – 2004)

• Mining Trainee (2002–2003): early practical exposure to mine development and site mining operations.
• Mining Engineer – Contract (2003–2004): project work associated with a greenfield gold mine.

Emerging Project Leadership Program – IIM Trichy (2025)

MBA in Marketing – Madras University (2021)

Bachelor of Technology in Mining Engineering – JNTUH (2017)

First Class Manager’s Certificate – DGMS (2014)

Diploma in Mining Engineering – School of Mines (2002)

Harvard Manage Mentor – Harvard Business Publishing (2022)