Biren Mookerjee

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Sir Biren Mookerjee

Born 14 February 1899
Kolkata
Died 4 November 1982
Kolkata
Occupation Industrialist
Spouse Lady Ranu Mookerjee

Sir Biren Mookerjee (full name Birendranath Mookerjee, more popular simply as Sir Biren; the family surname was spelt by them differently from the standard “Mukherjee.”) (Bengali: স্যার বীরেন মুখার্জ্জী) (1899 – 1982) was a leading industrialist who established the IISCO steel plant at Burnpur and other industrial establishments. [1]

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[edit] Early life

Son of pioneering industrialist Sir Rajen Mookerjee, he studied at Shibpur Engineering College before proceeding to Trinity College, Cambridge, from where he did his B.A. and M.A. On return to India in 1924, he joined Martin & Co. in 1924. He was knighted in 1942. [1]

[edit] Association with steel industry

With the death of Sir Rajen Mookerjee in 1936, the mantle of industrial entrepreneurship fell on Sir Biren. He made his debut as Chairman of the Steel Corporation of Bengal, which set up the steel plant at Burnpur, adjacent to the iron making plant set up earlier. SCOB was later merged with IISCO. [2] In December 1953, Sir Biren, along with other representatives of his company signed a loan agreement in Washington for US $ 31.5 million, to cover the foreign exchange requirement for the expansion of the plant. It was the first instance when the World Bank had advanced any loan to any industry in the private sector. [3] he signed another loan agreement with the World Bank in 1956. What was most remarkable was that around 75% of the requirements of expansion were met by internal cash generation. [4]

Sir Biren was an imposing leader with a dynamic personality galvanising a team at Burnpur to produce results. The team consisted of diverse elements such as J. McCracken, F.W.Lahmeyer, S.L.Moffat, I.S.Puri, and N.R.Dutt. [5]

Sir Biren faced high drama when in 1968, Ramnath Goenka of the Indian Express Newspapers Ltd. tried unsuccessfully to take over IISCO. Sir Biren had survived with government support, since he held only two per cent of the shares of the company. [6]

With persistent labour trouble in his plant in the late sixties, Sir Biren was a broken man. He said, “I see before my eyes a vast industrial complex, with which I was associated for nearly 40 years crumbling to dust.” IISCO was taken over by the government in 1972. [7] It was a somewhat sad end for a man who had led the company to its pinnacle of glory. He did not court the establishment which cost him dearly. [8]

Biren Mukherjee married Ranu Adhikari, daughter of Phoni Bhusan Adhikari, a professor of philosophy in Varanasi. Ranu later Lady Ranu [1907- 2000] was one of the exquisite beauties of her time,one of Rabindranath Tagore's closest associates since her childhood days and later became a great connoissure of art and culture.

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Sengupta, Subodh Chandra and Bose, Anjali (editors), (1976/1998), Sansad Bangali Charitabhidhan (Biographical dictionary) Vol I, (Bengali), p 362, ISBN 8185626650
  2. ^ Srinivasan, N.R., History of The Indian Iron and Steel Company, 1983, pp 60-61, published by IISCO, Burnpur.
  3. ^ Srinivasan, N.R., p85.
  4. ^ Srinivasan, N.R., pp 88-89.
  5. ^ Srinivasan, N.R., p93.
  6. ^ Srinivasan, N.R., pp 119-120.
  7. ^ Srinivasan, N.R., p 121.
  8. ^ Srinivasan, N.R., p 134.

[edit] External links


Persondata
NAME Sir Biren Mookerjee
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Birendranath Mookerjee
SHORT DESCRIPTION Industrialist
DATE OF BIRTH 14 February 1899
PLACE OF BIRTH Kolkata
DATE OF DEATH 4 November 1982
PLACE OF DEATH Kolkata