Doctor Steel

J.J. Irani was with the Tatas for forty-three years. He is survived by his wife, Daisy Irani, and children, Zubin, Niloufer and Tanaaz.

In the 1980s, the steel produced in India was not cost-effective, plagued by quality issues and unable to meet the standards required to take India a step ahead in its development goals.

Enter Jamshed Jiji Irani, fondly known as ‘Doc’ to all, whose efforts aimed at modernizing Tata Steel changed everything. Today, Tata Steel produces low-cost, high-quality metal of international standards. Under his leadership, Tata Steel ushered India into a new age of economic growth. But his story doesn’t end there. A leading industrialist, Irani was keenly involved in the 1990s economic liberalization that put India on the global map. He held positions on various Tata boards, and was part of the Confederation of Indian Industry and several other government-appointed committees. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan and an honorary knighthood by the British government for his work.

Behind his formidable exterior was a man with a big heart and a fondness for life. He was a man of integrity and conviction, devoted to Tata Steel and the people there. The chapters that make up Doctor Steel—the result of freewheeling conversations between Irani and N.K. Sharan in the months before the former’s passing—look back at this journey.

'Doc was the embodiment of the Tata ethos; he was innovative and progressive, a leader who brought integrity and caring to the workplace, a devoted citizen of a country he worked daily to modernize and improve. His book is testament to this.''J.J. Irani had the kind of stuff in him that leaders are made of. One does not readily come across a corporate leader of his stature. The purpose of telling this story is not merely to revere the dead but to inspire the living - the bearers of his legacy. Dr Irani is not with us, yet he lives on in our memory.''In Jamshed Irani's death, Tata has lost a blue-blooded son, and I have lost a close friend and mentor. I wanted him to write a book for the longest time, and the resulting anecdotes are incredibly rich.'