Jamshed J Irani, steel man of India, passes away at 86

NEW DELHI:  Tata Group veteran and former managing director of Tata Steel Jamshed J Irani passed away in Jamshedpur (Jharkhand) late Monday night.  He was 86. He is survived by his wife Daisy Irani and three children -- Zubin, Niloufer and Tanaaz.

Irani also known as the steel man of India, retired from the board of Tata Steel in June 2011, leaving behind a legacy of over 4 decades. Post the news of his demise, India Inc and senior politicians remembered him as the maestro who played a leading role in turning around India’s steel sector. TV Narendran, the current CEO and MD of Tata Steel, said JJ Irani transformed Tata Steel in the nineties and made them one of the lowest cost steel producers in the world.

“He helped build a strong foundation on which we grew in the subsequent decades. He was one of the pioneers of the TQM movement in the country. He led with courage and conviction and was a role model and mentor for many in Tata Steel then and now. The employees of Tata Steel past and present are indebted to his leadership during turbulent times,” added Narendran.

Sanjiv Bajaj, President, CII and chairman of Bajaj Finserv said Irani was a giant in the firmament of industry and he shaped its trajectory over the decades at a time when India was undertaking its economic reforms process. Born on June 2, 1936, in Nagpur to Jiji Irani and Khorshed Irani. He completed Bachelor of Science degree from Science College, Nagpur, in 1956 and Master of Science degree in Geology from the Nagpur University in 1958.