"In order to succeed I believe one has to work hard with integrity and some luck," said Lord Swraj Paul, Founder & Chairman of the UK-based multinational steel and engineering group, Caparo once. And no wonder he has made these virtues guiding principles of his life. Born in 1931 at Jalandhar, the steel magnate started getting first business lessons from his father from a very young age. After studying in Foreman Christian College under Punjab University, he went to do his master's in mechanical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the US. He returned to India in 1953, to join the Apeejay Surrendra Group, which was founded by his father. The young Paul soon turned it into a diversified industrial group. In fact, it was under tragic circumstances that Paul had to leave for England in 1966.

He went there searching for a cure for his leukemia-stricken two-year-old daughter, Ambika. She, however, did not survive, leaving him shattered. To keep his mind away from the tragedy of her death, he buried himself in work and laid the seeds for a spectacular business career. He started off by buying and selling steel in a one-man business. He then acquired a small tube unit, Natural Gas Tubes (NGT), which he developed into one of the leading UK producers of welded steel tube and spiral-welded pipe. He followed this up by buying more units more units, mainly in the steel products manufacturing industry and eventually founded the Caparo Group in 1978. That same year, Queen Elizabeth II knighted Swraj Paul, making him The Lord Paul of Marylebone and a member of the House of Lords.

The group marched from strength to strength and today it includes such big companies as Caparo Steel Products, Caparo Engineering and Armstrong Fasteners. Another company, Bull Moose Tubes, offers the largest range of welded steel tubing in North America and with a current production level of 420,000T per annum, the company is taking a 15 percent share of that market. Apart from the knighthood, he is also the recipient of a number of awards. He has written the biography of Indira Gandhi and was awarded the Padma Bhushan by her in 1983. He has also held the Pro-Chancellorship of the Thames University in 1998 and its Governorship (1992-97), Chancellorship of Wolverhampton University and the Bharat Gaurav award by the Indian Merchant's Chamber are among the awards bestowed on him.

A member of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's Foreign Policy Centre Advisory Council and MIT's Mechanical Engineering Visiting Committee, Paul has come a long way during his decades-long career by dint of hard work, dedication and sincerity. Apart from his business, the other big love in Paul's life is cricket. A member of the MCC, Cricket Club of India and president emeritus of the Indian Gymkhana Club, his favourite cricketers include Sunil Gavaskar; Bishen Bedi, Sachin Tendulkar and David Gower. This 74-year-old (or young?) man is still fit and fighting. He continues to take active interest in his business. It was not long back when he announced that the group would expand its operations in India. For achievers like Paul who defy age, there is no power that can stop him short of his dreams.