Jun 26 (NDTV): An Indian is now at the helm of affairs of the world's biggest steel company.
Lakshmi Niwas Mittal - the newly crowned king of steel - has raced at lightning speed where others have lumbered.
Mittal has bid ruthlessly and tirelessly for acquisitions irrespective of how daunting they might have seemed initially.
He has bucked every trend possible in the global steel business and even fought off racist attacks with dignity and charm.
But perhaps Laxmi Niwas' most important contribution as head of the LNM Group - the world's largest and most expansive steel making entity - has been bringing about a transformation in world opinion.
Perhaps his biggest contribution amidst all the controversies is to have engineered that fascinating coming-of-age of Indian steel making.
As the takeover ink of Arcelor begins to dry, Mittal's mark on the world has already begun to be stamped in the sheer tonnage of his business power.
But it's a development that is not really expected to change the humble Indian in Laxmi Niwas.
Family roots
Throughout his meteoric rise to the top, he's stayed true to his roots and his family.
He's given back to his country whenever and as often as he could, the latest being his plan for a mega-steel project in the state of Jharkhand.
Mittal won over many with the way he handled the racist attacks during his takeover bid of Arcelor.
"You see, in this company's takeover, the decision has to be taken by the shareholders of the company. But the states are important constituents of any business," he said."
And it is important that we continue to have a friendly environment in any country. We do not like to have a confrontational attitude with any government or between us," he added.
"So, that is why it is important that we have been meeting all the political leaders, employees and the shareholders so that this merger is successful," Mittal said.
Racist attacks
On the cartoons of him again in connection with Arcelor making it out to be a battle between the white man and brown man, he said "I felt very sad about all these comments. I still feel sad about the outburst and the emotions among the various politicians and various leaders."
But at the heart of the hard-nosed steel tycoon is a true patriot.
"I am proud to be an Indian. I have always said that the whole family has Indian passports. And I can't change my allegiance to my country. It is not the business, it is my allegiance. I was born here, I grew up here, my roots are here. It is very important for me to keep my passport," said the billionaire.
Born in Sadulpur, Rajasthan, Mittal cut his teeth in his father's business Ispat India. He later spent many years at his family home in Kolkata.
But over the years, his business grew and in the mid-'90s, Mittal decided he needed a more central base for his rapidly growing empire and shifted to London.
His neighbours in Bishop's Avenue, Hampstead, include the Sultan of Brunei.
Mittal's biggest profits come from his riskiest and most ambitious buys like Karmet Steelworks in Kazakhstan, which he bought in 1995, also inheriting the local branch of the Russian KGB and the steel town's tram service.
Today Karmet's production has climbed from 2.2 million tonnes when Mittal took over to 5.2 million tonnes.
His secret, many say, lies in his ability to turn around rusty steel making units.