~The oldest Indian and the only person from Jharkhand to scale the highest peak~

~ Tata Steel supports and applauds Premlata for this exemplary success!~

Ms. Premlata Agarwal the first person from Jharkhand to go on an expedition to Mount Everest reached its summit today at 09:35 AM IST, thereby also becoming the oldest Indian woman ever to do so at the age of 45.

This is a moment of victory for Ms Agarwal and for Tata Steel that has supported her at each step to the summit.

Premlata’s preparations for the final summit push began on 06th, where she went from Base Camp (18000ft) to C2 (Camp 2 at 22,000 ft) and then she climbed to C3 (Camp 3 at 23,000ft where she had to go on artificial oxygen). She then reached C4 (Camp 4, South Col 26000 ft) yesterday, 19th May, 2011 and took rest before her beginning her final climb towards the summit at around 11 p.m.

Before climbing Mt Everest, Ms. Agarwal also undertook a climbing exercise to Island Peak (20,300 ft) in the Everest Region to acclimatize herself completely.

A mother of 2 daughters, one of whom is married, Premlata started her actual climb from Base Camp on 17th April, 2011. Thereafter, she has been going to higher camps and coming down again. Climb high and sleep low was the process to get acclimatized in such major expeditions.

Congratulating Ms Agarwal and the entire team of Tata Steel, Mr Sanjiv Paul, Vice President (Corporate Services), Tata Steel, said, "This is a proud moment for all of us. I extend my heartiest congratulations to Premlata for having achieved this feat and especially to Ms Bachendri Pal for having trained and supported her all the way."

On prior occasions, Ms Agarwal has proved her mettle as an adventurous lady by participating in several TSAF (Tata Steel Adventure Foundation) expeditions – notable being the Island Peak Expedition in Nepal (20,600 ft) in 2004, the Karakoram Pass (18,300 ft) and Mt. Stok Kangri (20,150 ft) in 2006, the First Indian Women’s Thar Desert Expedition in 2007 which involved a 40 day Camel Safari along the International Border from Bhuj in Gujarat – Rann of Kutch – Thar in Rajasthan, upto Wagah Border in Punjab. These achievements were also recognized as a National Record and found place in the Limca Book of Records.

About Tata Steel and Sports
Established in 1907 as Asia's first integrated private sector steel company, Tata Steel Group is among the top ten global steel companies 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$ 29 billion in FY '09, has over 80,000 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.

About TSAF
The main objective of Tata Steel Adventure Foundation (TSAF) is to induct people from all walks of life to the thrills and wonders of adventure sports, thereby developing a healthy rapport with environment and nature. It emphasises the importance of maintaining a positive attitude in life and helps participants cultivate it through a multidisciplinary approach and a wide range of activities. Designed for all age groups, TSAF has special programmes for children, youth, corporate employees and senior citizens. It has evolved the concept of utilising benefits of adventure in everyday life to perfection and aids and encourages many forms of the sport like mountain trekking, parasailing and river rafting. In an effort to extend the benefits to the business world, TSAF has also incorporated the needs of corporate management (particularly team building) in many of its programmes. The Foundation’s core strength lies in its highly capable and motivated personnel (led by renowned mountaineer Ms. Bachendri Pal) who ensure a safe and supportive atmosphere for enthusiasts to willingly participate. They are presented with actual problems, real consequences and real constraints.