“Steel Man of India” Passes at the Age of 86

Jamshed J. Irani, a veteran of Tata Steel and its previous MD, passed away at the age of 86 on October 31, 2022, at 10 p.m. at Tata Main Hospital in Jamshedpur, according to a statement from Tata Steel. 

Irani spent 43 years working for Tata Steel. In June 2011, he left the Tata Steel board.

He will be remembered as a visionary leader who drove Tata Steel forward amid India's economic liberalization in the early 1990s and helped the country's steel sector expand and flourish.

Irani served as a Director for several Tata Group firms, including Tata Motors and Tata Teleservices, in addition to Tata Steel and Tata Sons.

In 1996, the Royal Academy of Engineering named him an international fellow. In 1997, Queen Elizabeth II awarded him an Honorary Knighthood in recognition of his achievements in Indo-British trade and cooperation.

Irani was chosen as the Chairman of the Expert Committee for the Creation of the New Companies Act of India by the Indian Government in 2004.

Tata steel Ltd tweeted on Twitter "We are deeply saddened at the demise of Padma Bhushan Dr. Jamshed J Irani, fondly known as the Steel Man of India. Tata Steel family offers its deepest condolences to his family and loved ones."

He received the Padma Bhushan award in 2007 for his work in the sector. In 2008, the Government of India honored him with the Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his contributions to the field of metallurgy.

He made it possible for Tata Steel to reinvent itself with an emphasis on quality and customer happiness, becoming the world's lowest-cost steel manufacturer while maintaining a level of quality that could compete on the global market.

Irani, also known as the Steel Man of India, played a significant role in the establishment of the Tata Education Excellence Program in 2003, which aimed to enhance the standard of academic facilitation by using a calibrated strategy based on the renowned Malcolm Baldrige Performance Excellence criteria.

He had a keen interest in the study, creation, and gathering of metals and minerals due to his profession as a metallurgist.

Irani also received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Indian government in 2008 in recognition of his contributions to the field of metallurgy.