Born on 4th December 1947 at Faizabad, U.P., Mr. Saran secured a Bachelor’s Degree in Mining Engineering from Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University in 1969. He served Tata Steel for 25 years, starting from their various mines, ports and in Kolkata Office, rising to the position of Director – Raw Materials, Tata Steel in 1988. He availed voluntary retirement from 1st April, 1994.
Mr. Saran founded the VISA Group in April 1994 and has built it up from scratch to over a billion US dollar multinational organisation. The Group has its own offices in Australia, China, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Singapore, South Africa and Switzerland and an extensive network of offices at various metros, state capitals and ports in India.
The VISA Group includes the following three businesses:
- VISA Steel – Listed on BSE & NSE, establishing a 2.5 million TPA integrated Special & Stainless Steel Plant in Orissa where a number of units are already in operation. Also setting up a 2.5 million TPA integrated Steel Plant in Chhattisgarh.
- VISA Power – Establishing a 1,200 MW independent coal fired mega power plant in Chhattisgarh for which the Company has already been allotted a captive Coal Block and a 1,320 MW IPP in Orissa based on Coal Linkage. Further establishing 1,000 MW IPP in Gujarat and 2,500 MW IPP in Jharkhand.
- VISA Comtrade Group – Active in international trading, shipping and mining of bulk industrial raw materials & products, including Carbon products – thermal coal, coking coal & LAM coke; Minerals – chrome ore / concentrates, iron ore & manganese ore; Non-ferrous – bauxite & alumina and Metals – ferroalloys, pig iron & steel.
Philanthropically, creating and improving educational and medical facilities for the poor in backward districts of Orissa, Chhattisgarh, UP and West Bengal through “VISA Trust”, founded by him and his wife.
- Honorary Consul of the Republic of Bulgaria for Eastern India.
- Trustee on the Board of Kalyan Bharti Trust & VISA Trust.
- Chairman of the Board of Governors, Heritage Institute of Technology, Kolkata.
- Formerly - President of Coal Consumers Association; Trustee on the Board of Chennai Port Trust; Member, Governing Council of the International Chromium Development Association, Paris; Raw Material Committee of the International Iron & Steel Institute, Brussels; CII Eastern Regional Committee; Board of Tata Sponge Iron Limited and Standard Chrome Limited ( both subsidiaries of Tata Steel at the time).
- A keen golfer and art collector.
Family
Married to Mrs. Saroj Agarwal (BA from BHU Varanasi), a keen golfer (former winner of all India Ladies Champion Trophy - Silver Division) and former Captain of Ladies Golf Union, Tollygunge Club, Kolkata. She is Managing Director of VISA International Limited and a Committee Member of the Ladies Study Group.
Mr. Saran has three sons - Mr. Vishal Agarwal (M.Sc Economics from University of Oxford, UK), Mr. Vikas Agarwal (M.Engg. from University of Cambridge, UK) and Mr. Vivek Agarwal (M.Engg. from University of Cambridge, UK) – they are Managing Directors of VISA Steel, VISA Power & VISA Comtrade Group respectively.
Contact
Tel +91-33-30519111;
Fax +91-33-30519002;
Email : v.saran@visa-group.com
Mr Vishal Agarwal
Managing Director, VISA Steel
Mr. Vishal Agarwal is currently the Managing Director of VISA Steel.
He was born on 14th September 1974 in Faizabad, Uttar Pradesh. After completing his schooling from Mayo College in Ajmer, Mr. Agarwal completed his Bachelors Degree in Economics from London School of Economics in 1996 and a Masters Degree in Economics for Development from Oxford University in 1997.
During 1997 to 2003, Mr. Agarwal developed the international trading business for the VISA Group in minerals and metals including Chrome Ore, Manganese Ore, Iron Ore, Alumina and Ferro Alloys.
Since 2004, he has been developing the Greenfield projects of VISA Steel from scratch in Orissa and Chhattisgarh. The Company is setting up an integrated 2.5 million TPA Special and Stainless Steel Plant in Orissa and an integrated 2.5 million TPA Carbon Steel Plant in Chhattisgarh.
His sporting activities include golf, tennis and swimming. Mr. Agarwal is also actively involved in promoting CSR activities in the areas of education and healthcare in Orissa & Chhattisgarh through the VISA Trust.
Mr. Agarwal is a member of the YPO Kolkata Chapter, ICDA Paris, CII Eastern Regional Council and Indian Chamber of Commerce in Kolkata.
He is also a member of the Board of Directors of other VISA Group companies including VISA Power, VISA Comtrade & VISA Realty.