For Amit Narain, the most meaningful results come from patience and persistence.
As the new APAC sales director for U.S. Borax based in our Singapore office, Amit brings a calm, steady mindset to one of the most dynamic and demanding markets. Building trust with customers is central to his approach.
“Gaining a customer’s trust takes years,” he says. “But it’s one of the most satisfying parts of the job.”
With more than 15 years at Rio Tinto and deep experience in the refined borates business, Amit is guiding customers and his team toward long-term success.
Early signs of a mining career
Amit grew up in Dhanbad, a coal mining town in eastern India, where his father worked for the nation’s largest coal mining company. Excursions to nearby mines sparked his curiosity at a young age, but Amit harbored aspirations to become a police officer, pilot, or cricketer.
“I didn’t start my career in mining, but there was always a connection,” he says.
After completing his engineering and MBA studies in Pune, India, Amit entered the workforce in 2001 and eventually secured a position at Rio Tinto (U.S. Borax’s parent company). He quickly found himself immersed in a global organization where our “Care, Courage, and Curiosity” values aligned with his own.
Over the next decade, he took on roles across procurement and sales. These positions not only strengthened his understanding of mining industry operations but also set the stage for his transition into commercial leadership.
He led a multi-year strategic effort to establish a regional warehouse in India for our boric acid and agricultural products. The move dramatically improved delivery timelines and positioned our company to better manage seasonality and regulatory demands in this key market.
Learn more about U.S. Borax in India
Aligning teams through close communication
Today, Amit’s sales leadership role spans customer relationships, market intelligence, and alignment across areas such as logistics and operations. His approach to the role is rooted in communication, proactive problem-solving, and strategic clarity.
“Keeping the team aligned and engaged is critical,” he says. “I make it a point to stay close to market dynamics and maintain regular dialogue across regions. When things shift—and they often do—I want to make sure everyone is informed, focused, and working together.”
Some of Amit’s top priorities in his role include:
- Growing our agricultural product portfolio in Asia
- Ensuring regional alignment to the global sales strategy
- Nurture and strengthen key customer relationships in the region
- Enhancing value chain opportunities
Of course, customers are the focal point of everything that Amit does. He leverages his deep industry experience to guide customers closer to their goals.
Treating people with care
A major key to Amit’s success is how he handles relationships.
“Customers remember how you treated them in both difficult and good times,” he says. “That’s why I always give them the respect and dignity they deserve, regardless of market conditions.”
Internally, Amit has a knack for building strong relationships through consistent communication across a diverse range of teams, including marketing intelligence, quality assurance, product stewardship, value chain and operations.
“I’m easy to work with—but I’m also a stickler for policies and procedures,” he says.
The right leader for an evolving industry
As supply chains experience volatility, new regulations, and increased market demands, having someone with a proactive, solution-oriented mindset has never been more essential.
In any situation, whether it’s managing complex logistics for a customer or advocating for innovative projects, Amit stays composed, listens closely, and responds with clarity.
Outside of work, he finds similar clarity in his passion for long-distance running. “It’s my time to reflect and reason,” he says. “It keeps me centered and grounded, in addition to the endurance it builds to run long, both in life and on the road.”
Amit and his family (including their furry baby) are settling into the rhythm and pulse of their new home in Singapore.
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