MOHAN LAL MITTAL, father of steel tycoon Lakshmi Mittal and founder of the Mittal family's steel empire, died on Friday (16). He was 99.
Indian prime minister Narendra Modi paid tribute, describing the industrialist as someone who "distinguished himself in the world of industry" while being "very passionate about Indian culture".
"He supported various philanthropic efforts, reflecting his passion for societal progress. Pained by his passing. I will cherish our various interactions. Condolences to his family and admirers. Om Shanti," Modi wrote on X.
He started the family's steelmaking business during the 1950s, laying the foundation for what would become one of the world's largest steel empires. His son Lakshmi now heads ArcelorMittal, the world's biggest steelmaker, with the family worth an estimated £15.5 billion, according to Eastern Eye's Asian Rich List 2026.
Born in the 1920s, Mohan Lal's early life was shaped by the turmoil of India's partition. At 17, sensing the danger for Hindus in Karachi, Pakistan, as communal tensions mounted ahead of independence in 1947, he persuaded his family to leave. In 1945, he travelled to Kanpur with his mother and younger brother, while his father initially remained behind with the family business.
Starting afresh with limited capital, Mohan Lal established an oil mill in Kanpur. However, floods destroyed the venture in 1944, forcing the family to relocate to Kolkata. There, he began dealing in iron scrap and eventually became managing partner of a steel rolling mill, without any investment.
His son Lakshmi Niwas was born on 15 June 1950 in the family's ancestral village of Sadulpur in Churu district, Rajasthan.
Mohan Lal Mittal Photo: Sawan Books
Facing constraints in India's licence-permit regime of the 1950s and 1960s, Mohan Lal took a calculated risk. In 1976, he sent Lakshmi to Indonesia to set up a steel plant, a decision that proved transformative for the family's fortunes.
In 1956, Mohan Lal established Andhra Steel Corporation in Visakhapatnam and started several small rolling plants. He registered the company Mittal & Sons, which bought scrap from Hindustan Shipyard to use as raw material in rolling mills.
Lakshmi eventually separated from his siblings and founded Mittal Steel, which merged with Arcelor in 2006 to create ArcelorMittal. His daughter Vanisha is now chief strategy officer of steel producer Aperam, whilst his son Aditya serves as ArcelorMittal's chief financial officer.
Mohan Lal's other children are sons Pramod and Vinod Mittal, and daughter Seema Lohia, who is married to Indonesian businessman Sri Prakash Lohia.
Throughout his life, Mohan Lal remained committed to philanthropy and promoting Indian culture, supporting various social causes while building his business empire.
