~ An icon that expresses India’s values wrapped in contemporary dynamism ~

Tata Steel, in a move to reaffirm its commitment to its long standing Values, collaborated with the O.V.A.L. Trust to formally dedicate the 'Charkha' to the Nation, on the occasion of the birth date of Mahatma Gandhi, 02nd October, 2011.

A 30ft high steel structure, spiraling into the air, the ‘Charkha’ has been erected at the Cross Maidan Garden (Churchgate side). The Garden is between the Churchgate Station and the business hub of Flora Fountain through which area thousands of commuters pass. This makes it accessible to vast numbers of people, as it is in a public recreation ground. The Charkha is an award winning sculpture designed by architect Nuru Karim for the architectural and engineering design competition, the ‘Notions of India’.

This competition was conceptualized by leading brand of Tata Steel – Tata Structura – and I&B (Indian Architect and Builder), to create an icon for India that would express its contemporary dynamism while holding steadfast to its values and ideals.

The unveiling of the Charkha was done by Mr R K Krishna Kumar, Director, Tata Sons, in the presence of Mr B Muthuraman, Vice Chairman, Tata Steel , Mr H M Nerurkar, Managing Director, Tata Steel along with the Trustees of the O.V.A.L. Trust, Ms Shirin Bharucha and Ms Nayana Kathpalia.

Mr. R K Krishna Kumar, Director Tata Sons on the eve of the unveiling of the Charka said “The idea of India as a ‘Happy and Free nation’ is no longer a dream. Today’s youth is an observer of new energy, dedication and enthusiasm and the Charkha is a symbol to that very relevant symbolical generation.”

Mr. H.M Nerurkar, Managing Director, Tata Steel Ltd. said that “the Charkha is a constant source of inspiration and it is the symbolic identity of contemporary India. Tata is the foundation of corporate culture and serving the community and ‘Be the change’ is Tata’s way of doing things.”

The ‘Notions of India’ competition provided a space for the architecture and engineering fraternity to give expression to their creative and innovative ideas that inspired and symbolized the essence of contemporary India.

The ‘Charkha’, by Nuru Karim was selected as the winning entry from over 120 entries involving a three-stage stringent appraisal and a final review by the Master Jury.

For Mahatma Gandhi, the charkha symbolised nonviolence and epitomized the spirit of liberation. The design of the Charkha is complex in its simplicity. Its spiral trajectory is analogous to the spirit of the spinning wheel; its multiple sections mirroring the incredible spectrum of social and cultural aspects of our country.

Tata Steel's Tubes SBU took up the challenge of fabricating the multiple facets of the sculpture consisting of steel hollow sections (Tata Structura) of varying dimensions. The steel facets have been configured to Nuru Karim's design of the Charkha to perfection by Sushil Singh of Sewri Engineering Pvt. Ltd.

About Tata Steel and its brands
Established in 1907 as Asia's first integrated private sector steel company, Tata Steel Group is amongst the leading steel manufacturers in the world with an annual crude steel capacity of over 28 million tonnes per annum (mtpa). It is now the world's second-most geographically-diversified steel producer, with operations in 26 countries and a commercial presence in over 50 countries. The Tata Steel Group, with a turnover of US$ 26.64 billion in FY '11, has over 81,000 employees across five continents and is a Fortune 500 company. The Group’s vision is to be the world’s steel industry benchmark in “Value Creation” and “Corporate Citizenship” through the excellence of its people, its innovative approach and overall conduct.

Underpinning this vision is a performance culture committed to aspiration targets, safety and social responsibility, continuous improvement, openness and transparency. In 2008, Tata Steel India became the first integrated steel plant in the world, outside Japan, to be awarded the Deming Application Prize 2008 for excellence in Total Quality Management.

Tata Steel’s Jamshedpur works produces hot and cold rolled coils and sheets, galvanized sheets, tubes, wire rods and construction rebars. To differentiate the premium quality steel products and 'decommoditise' steel, Tata Steel has introduced several brands in its Flat, Long, Tubes & Wire Product segments. The Company has introduced brands such as Tata Structura & Tata Pipes in Tubes, Tata Tiscon in Long products, Tata Steelium, Tata Shaktee & Galvano in Flat products and Tata Wiron in Wire products. Besides this, TATA Agrico, a division of Tata Steel, is the pioneer manufacturer of superior quality agricultural hand tools and implements in the country since 1925.

Tata Structura steel hollow sections provide better compressive strength than the traditional open structurals because of their lower slenderness ratio and higher yield strength.