Aruna Hotels Ltd (Formerly known Aruna Sunrise Hotels Ltd), promoted by Dr. Maruthai Pillai in September, 1960 had diversified presence in Sugar, Hotels and Chemicals. The principal activities of the company are to carry out business of developing, owning, acquiring, renovating, operating, managing and promoting hotels, restaurants etc.
The company had undertaken restructuring exercise and divested Sugar unit, flour mill and Alum unit(Chemicals unit) thus leaving the company with only Hotel business.
The company set up a discotheque and bar which has become very popular.To increase the efficiency of the hotel division it has set up a discotheque & bar which has become very popular. It has proposed to set up the additional facilities like health club, specialty restaurnt and business centre. To improve the efficiency and quality in the chemical plant the company has taken up revamping of plants in phases.
The company as a restructuring excercise divested in the sugar mill (crushing capacity : 5000 tcd of cane) which was one of the largest in Tamilnadu. The mixed-fuel co-generation plant, using a combination of bagasse and lignite, was set up at a cost of Rs 50 cr. The 16x2-MW project was completed in two stages and became operational in Sep.'96 for which lignite was purchased from Neyveli Lignite Corporation. The company's 60-klpd distillery suffered a cost overrun of Rs 1.50 cr over the projected cost of Rs 16.5 cr, on account of changes in the design of the effluent-treatment plant. Against the installed annual capacity of 12,500 kl of alcohol, production was only 4206 kl in 1994-95.
Following recurring losses, the flour mill was sold in Apr.'95 for Rs 75 lac. Its international division has temporarily suspended operations due to the recession in the overseas leather market.
The company has hived off it's Alum Unit at Ranipet, which is manufacturing Ferric and Non-Ferric Alum, to a wholy owned subsidiary.
The company has hived off the Hotel Undertaking of the company during January 2005 to Aruna Hotels Pvt Ltd which is a subsidiary of the company.
The Hotel resumed operations in September 2010 with 40 rooms during 2010-11. The Hotel was operational with 79 rooms in FY 2014-15.
Later in 2023, the Company started its hotel operations under the name of 'Pharos Hotels' a unit of Aruna Hotels Limited effective from November 30, 2022. Pharos is a business-class hotel with 82 rooms, including five suite rooms. The hotel houses popular restaurant Vivaga Bhojanambu, A 24-hour Coffee Shop and Bar to cater to guests' needs.