Arun leads the Responsible Sourcing Initiative in India, which promotes the responsible sourcing of plastics across the country.

Leveraging his expertise in waste management, technology integration, and inclusive value chains, Arun brings over 19 years of cross-functional experience in the waste management sector across India and the UK.

Prior to joining The Circulate Initiative, Arun served as a part of the core leadership team at Saahas Zero Waste, a pioneering social enterprise in India. He helped build and scale key business verticals focused on decentralized waste management through Materials Recovery Facilities (MRFs), plastic waste management, and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) programs. He also led successful initiatives to professionalize informal waste workers and integrate them into an ethical supply chain, while championing the implementation of models like the ecosystem approach to waste management. Arun played a key role in implementing award-winning traceability tools, IoT systems, and AI-enabled waste recovery technologies.

Earlier in his career, Arun worked on equipment design and the establishment of MRFs in the UK, and played a key role in advancing thermocol recycling in Bangalore. He is also an Aspire Circle Fellow.

Arun holds a Master of Science in Advanced Materials Technology from the University of Surrey, United Kingdom, and a Bachelor of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering from Ramaiah Institute of Technology, India.