The new campus of the Xavier Institute of Tribal Education

Tata Steel's commitment to the uplift of the tribal people, who live in close proximity to its operational units, and to the preservation of their culture reached a new high with the company donating a building and a 71-acre campus for the establishment of the Xavier Institute for Tribal Education (XITE) in Adityapur, a satellite township of Jamshedpur.

For over 25 years, the company has been steadfast in its endeavour to improve the quality of life of the tribal community and return to society, in some measure, a part of what it receives from it. It, therefore, has set aside skills, resources and talents for the benefit of society, especially the tribal community.

Reiterating this commitment at the inauguration of the Institute, the Managing Director Mr B Muthuraman said, "we must take time off to help those less privileged than us. Resources are available in the world, what is really required is a change in mind-set."

The Institute will house a special postgraduate centre for Masters and PhD programmes in subjects related to tribals, apart from the academic, administrative and library blocks. Also on the anvil are an Ethnicity Centre, a Non-Conventional Energy Centre and a Tribal Herbal Garden.

While thanking Mr Muthuraman and Tata Steel for "having helped turn a dream into reality," Mr P P Sharma, Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, Government of Jharkhand urged the community to acknowledge the support provided by both for the project.

Father P D Thomas, S.J., Director, Xavier Labour Relations Institute, a premier management institute of the country, will serve as Director, XITE as well.
 

A significant step forward towards Vision 2007

On September 21, 2003, Tata Steel signed an agreement with its consortium partners for setting up its Titania project in the state of Tamil Nadu. The project is of extreme strategic importance to the company for its business plan as well as to fulfill its Vision of seizing "the opportunities of tomorrow".

The project will be undertaken in two phases. The first phase will involve the mining and separation of the raw material, Ilmenite and its subsequent upgradation into Synthetic Rutile or Titanium Dioxide Slag, while the latter phase will involve Titanium Dioxide Pigment.

The agreement is targetted to help the company complete the first phase of the project within a time frame of 20 months from commencement of work with the consortium partners. The consortium partners comprise Outokumpu Finland's physical separation division based in USA, Outokumpu-Lurgi, Germany, Pincock Allen Holt, USA - an international resource and mining consulting company - and Larsen and Toubro, an Indian engineering company.

Tata Steel has chosen Tamil Nadu for its new venture because of the abundance and easy access of the raw material there. As reported earlier in Tisco News, the company has already been granted a prospecting licence by the Tamil Nadu government and has the consent of existing landowners.