Tata Steel CEO appointed new chair of UK Steel

Emily Price 

Tata Steel UK’s CEO Rajesh Nair has been appointed the new chair of UK Steel.

Tata said the Chief Executive will undertake the new role for the representative body for the UK’s steel industry in addition to his existing responsibilities at Tata Steel UK.

The Indian steel giant described the appointment as a “boost” to the Welsh steel industry.

Nair has worked for over 36 years for the Tata Steel Group.

He joined Tata Steel UK as its Chief Operating Officer in 2021, later becoming the firm’s CEO in 2023.

‘Central role’

Tata says Nair has “played a central role in reshaping the business”, advancing its transition to low-CO2 steelmaking, and “helping secure the future of domestic steel production in south Wales”.

A graduate in electrical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University), Rajesh has held several senior operational and commercial roles across Tata Steel Group.

He has overseen major transformation programmes across global sites – from managing the Cold Rolling Mill complex at Jamshedpur to playing a key role in the integration of Corus Group into Tata Steel in 2007.

‘Backbone’

Nair said: “It is an honour to be appointed Chair of UK Steel at such a pivotal moment for the steel industry – and to represent the interests of Welsh steelmaking at a national level.

“South Wales has long been the backbone of UK steel, and it has a vital role to play in the sector’s future.

“I look forward to working with UK Steel members, Government and stakeholders to help build a competitive and resilient industry by addressing barriers like disproportionately high energy costs and the growing threat posed by cheap, high-emission imports.”

The Tata Steel’s main UK operations are based in Port Talbot.

In September last year, the firm brought closed the last remaining blast furnace at the site, bringing an end to traditional steelmaking at the UK’s largest steelworks.

It came after the steelmaking company said the operation had become financially unsustainable after incurring losses of £1m a day.

The controversial closure of Port Talbot’s blast furnaces saw the loss of 2,800 jobs.

Tata is now in the midst of transitioning to using a £1.25bn electric arc furnace at its south Wales site in a bid to reduce emissions and secure the future of steelmaking.

The UK Government granted £500m in funding towards the cost of the new technology.

Gareth Stace, Director-General, UK Steel said: “The appointment of Rajesh as Chair of UK Steel is excellent news for both UK Steel and our industry as a whole. Rajesh will bring a wealth of experience across both the global and UK steel industry to this role.

“His appointment could not have come at a better time as our industry looks to modernise and grow as Government prepares to publish its Steel Strategy this autumn.”

Rajesh is a board member of Tata Steel UK and chairs Surahammars Bruks in Sweden.

He is a Fulbright Scholar with advanced management training from Carnegie Mellon University and CEDEP-INSEAD.

He holds published research and patents in galvanised steel products and has been a member of committees and the Indian Institute of Metals.