Tata Steel Limited is an Indian multinational steel-making company headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra, and is part of the Tata Group. Founded in 1907 as the Tata Iron and Steel Company (TISCO), it is one of the largest steel producers in the world and the oldest integrated steel plant in Asia. The company operates across India, Europe, and South-East Asia, and has been historically associated with the planned industrial township of Jamshedpur in Jharkhand.
| Type | Public company |
|---|---|
| Founded | 26 August 1907 |
| Founder | Jamsetji Tata |
| Former name | Tata Iron and Steel Company (TISCO) |
| Headquarters | Bombay House, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India |
| Industry | Steel |
| Parent | Tata Group (via Tata Sons) |
| Principal plant | Jamshedpur, Jharkhand |
| Listings | BSE, NSE |
The company was conceived by industrialist Jamsetji Tata in the late 19th century as part of a vision to establish heavy industry in India. Although Jamsetji died in 1904 before the project began, his son Dorabji Tata, along with cousin Shapurji Saklatvala and geologist P. N. Bose, identified iron ore deposits near Sakchi in present-day Jharkhand. The plant was set up close to the confluence of the Subarnarekha and Kharkai rivers, and the surrounding township was later renamed Jamshedpur in honour of the founder.
Tata Steel's flagship works at Jamshedpur is an integrated steel plant producing flat and long steel products. In India, additional major facilities include the Kalinganagar plant in Odisha, commissioned in 2016, and the operations of the former Bhushan Steel at Dhenkanal (Odisha) and Angul. The company also has captive iron ore and coal mines in Jharkhand and Odisha.
Through Tata Steel Europe, it operates large works at Port Talbot in Wales and IJmuiden in the Netherlands. In South-East Asia, Tata Steel is present through subsidiaries in Thailand and Singapore, and through joint ventures such as Tata BlueScope Steel and Tata NYK Shipping in associated activities.
Tata Steel is regarded as a foundational enterprise of modern Indian industry, having predated India's independence by four decades and contributed to the country's industrial base during both World Wars. The Jamshedpur township is often cited as one of the earliest planned industrial cities in Asia, with civic amenities provided by the company. The 2007 Corus acquisition is considered a landmark event in the internationalisation of Indian business. The company has also been associated with early adoption of industrial labour welfare practices in India.
Tata Steel has been led over its history by figures including Dorabji Tata, Sir Nowroji Saklatwala, J. R. D. Tata, Russi Mody, Ratan Tata, and B. Muthuraman. The company is part of the Tata Group, whose holding company is Tata Sons.