Swaraj Paul, an India based business magnate and philanthropist has founded the multinational company `Caparo`, the UK based steel and engineering group in 1978 having learned business lessons from his father at a young age. Swaraj Paul`s company developed into one of the leading producers of welded steel tube and spiral-welded pipe in the UK. He was knighted by the British Queen in the year 1978 and became the Lord Paul of Marylebone and a member of the House of Lords.

Swaraj Paul was born in 1931 in Jalandhar. His father used to run a small factory of making steel buckets and farming equipments. Swraj was educated at Punjab University and obtained a master`s degree in mechanical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the US. He joined the Apeejay Surrendra Group, founded by his father after his returning to India in 1953. It helped him to build up a diversified industrial group.

The twist of fate came when Swaraj went to England in 1966 hoping to find a cure for his leukemia-stricken two-year-old daughter, Ambika. Shattered by her death, he took over the operations of Apeejay Overseas and relocated permanently to London. He buried himself in work and there began his spectacular business career in Britain.

In 1968, he started buying and selling steel in a one-man business and acquired a small tube unit, Natural Gas Tubes (NGT). This developed into one of the leading UK producers of welded steel tube and spiral-welded pipe. He bought more units gradually, mainly in the steel products manufacturing industry and founded Caparo Group in 1978. Her Majesty the Queen knighted Swaraj Paul in the same year, thereby making him The Lord Paul of Marylebone and a member of the House of Lords the life peer.

Lord Paul lives a very simple life despite being one of the richest people in the UK. Lord Paul reflects on the main events of his life in his memoirs, `Beyond Boundaries`. It contains the details of his business career, including his attempted takeover of the DCM and Escorts group. It also portrays his association with the famous and the mighty, including the Indian political dynasty of Indira Gandhi and her sons Sanjay and Rajiv. Beyond Boundaries is a window into the making of one of the most outstanding success stories of modern times. He has also written the biography of Indira Gandhi and was awarded the "Padma Bhushan" by her in 1983.

The "Bharat Gaurav" honor was awarded to him by the Indian Merchant`s Chamber. He holds the position `Pro-Chancellorship` of Thames University in1998 and its Governorship (1992-97). Swaraj Paul was honored with the Chancellorship of the University of Wolverhampton and the University of Westminster. He is a member of the Foreign Policy Centre Advisory Council and MIT`s Mechanical Engineering Visiting Committee. He is the chairman of the Olympic Delivery Committee with the key task of initiating measures to acquire land and provide infra-structure for the London Olympics 2012.

In April 2005 Lord Paul made headlines when he decided to pull out all stops for the wedding reception of the year for his youngest son Angad at London`s Lancaster House. The wedding itself took place in London Zoo. This strict vegeterian donated twenty Lakh Rupees to the victims of the October 2005 earthquake in India`s Jammu and Kasmir. Swaraj Paul stepped down from the management of the Caparo group in 1996, handing over his empire to his three sons. His sons have ambitious plans in India, moving ahead aggressively in business projects.