B Muthuraman (full name Balasubramanian Muthuraman) was the Managing Director of Tata Steel, India's largest steel manufacturer. He is also the Chairman of the Board of Governors of Xavier Labour Relations Institute (XLRI), Jamshedpur and National Institute of Technology, Jamshedpur (N. I. T.). Mr. B Muthuraman, has also nominated as the Chairman of the Board of Governors of IIT Kharagpur by the Honourable President of India, Mrs. Pratibha Patil.
Mr. Muthuraman is known for his leadership, courage, foresight and his successful strategies that have brought about a positive change in not just Tata Steel and the industry, but also ushered in great optimism in the Indian industrial sector. He will take up the responsibilities of the affairs of IIT – Kharagpur, one of the premier engineering colleges in India. An institute that is known world over for churning out some of the ablest technicians and engineers of the world will now aspire to achieve greater landmarks and milestones under the able guidance of Mr. B Muthuraman.
Mr. B Muthuraman has been a member of Board of Governors of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur. He has been serving as the Director on the Board of CEDEP, France. He is the Chairman of Board of Governors, Xavier Labour Relations Institute in Jamshedpur and also the Chairman of National Institute of Technology (NIT), Jamshedpur. In addition to this Mr. Muthuraman is a National Council Member of Confederation of Indian Industry. He is a Member of Business Advisory Council of Economic and Social Commission for ASIA and the Pacific (UNESCAP). Serving as the Director of International Iron and Steel Institute (IISI), Brussels, he has also been conferred the Honorary Fellowship of All India Management Association on 6 September 2007.
“I accept the nomination with a great deal of pride and would try my best towards contributing to the affairs of IIT, Kharagpur”, said Mr. B Muthuraman, Managing Director – Tata Steel while accepting the responsibility as an honour.
Winner of the Distinguished Alumnus Award from IIT Madras in 1997, Mr. B Muthuraman has also won the Tata Gold Medal from Indian Institute of Metals in 2002.
An individual known for his commitment and aspirations to take Tata Steel to unimaginable heights, Mr. B Muthuraman has commented that he derives his inspiration captured in the following quote by Patanjali, an ancient Indian philosopher –
“When you are inspired by some great purpose, some extraordinary project, all your thoughts break their bonds – your mind transcends limitations, your conscience expands in every direction and you find yourself in a new, great and wonderful world. Dormant forces, faculties and talents become alive and you discover yourself to be a greater person by than you ever dreamed”
He completed his MBA from the Business Management Evening programme at XLRI in 1975. Muthuraman was also educated at the prestigious Madras Christian College. He is also an alumnus of IIT Madras (Class of 1966).
Having started as a "graduate trainee" in Tata Steel right after graduation, he spent some time in the engineering and iron & steel making side of the company before moving to sales and marketing. He has spent most of his career in sales and marketing. He saw the company through the worst of recessions in the industry in the early nineties as the head of the sales and marketing team. Perhaps his biggest accomplishment, before he was appointed Managing Director, was the early commissioning of the Cold Rolling Mill in Jamshedpur after a fruitless stint trying to set up a greenfield plant for Tata Steel in Gopalpur, Orissa.
His vision to grow TATA Steel to a 100 MT company is now taking fruit and is well underway with the acquisition of Corus.