E-Paper
NRI businessman charters flight for employees’ return
In addition to R Harikumar’s employees, the special flight, run by Air Arabia also carried 50 people from Kerala who lost their jobs in Sharjah and were desperate to get back home.
A Sharjah-based businessman flew 120 of his employees home to Kerala in a chartered flight on Sunday night, gifted them a months salary and a goody-bag, and, according to one of the employees who spoke to HT on condition of anonymity, has offered all of them the option of working for his company’s units in Coimbatore if they do not want to return to Sharjah.
In addition to R Harikumar’s employees, the special flight, run by Air Arabia also carried 50 people from Kerala who lost their jobs in Sharjah and were desperate to get back home.
“ It is my duty to protect my employees who stood with me though thick and thin,” said Harikumar, who is also a popular theatre artist.
He came to Saudi Arabia from Alappuzha in Kerala, in search of a job 20 years ago and went on to become a successful businessman.
His Elite group of companies makes aluminium extrusions in demand in the architectural sector and employs around 1200 people.
He hails from the coastal town Alappuzha.
“A good business firm is like a family. If employees are in trouble it is the duty of the firm to look after them,” he said, adding that he will help more Indians who have been stranded in the country due to Covid-19 restrictions return home.
