August 26, 2007. That?s the day Tata Steel, the world?s sixth-largest steel producer, completes a century of making steel and embarks upon another journey: to become the world?s No 2 by 2012.

Starting in 1907 with 100,000 tonne, production tapered off at around 4 million tonne in 1990 due to licence quota restrictions. After 2004, however, Tata Steel has grown rapidly through overseas acquisitions, starting with NatSteel of Singapore and followed the next year with Millenium Steel of Thailand. With the $12-billion acquisition early this year of Anglo-Dutch Corus, the company was pitchforked into the big league with annual production of 28 million tonne. Its next milestone: 35 million tonne by 2012, to make it the second-largest producer of steel after Arcelor Mittal.

However, the story of Tata Steel is not only about steelmaking. The company embodies the finest in town planning, corporate social responsibility and labour welfare. Indeed, the city of Jamshedpur stands as testament to the vision of the Tatas. Consider this letter written by founder Jamsetji Tata back in 1902 to son Dorabji Tata: ?Be sure to lay wide streets planted with shady trees, every other of a quick growing variety… ?

Tata Steel is a part of this country in more ways than one. Its steel was used to build the Howrah Bridge in Kolkata, the Bhakra-Nangal and Damodar Valley projects, the port of Kandla, and the city of Chandigarh. ?We think we started on sound and straightforward business principles, considering the interests of the shareholder our own, and the health and welfare of the employees the sure foundation of our prosperity,? Jamsetji Tata once said. Nothing encapsulates Tata Steel?s journey better than that.

Tata among top global brands

The Tata brand will join the 100 best global brands in the rankings for 2008, according to Tom Blackett, group deputy chairman of Interbrand, the UK company that produces the annual pecking order. He told FE the Tatas would easily make the cut to join the prestigious league, led by Coca-Cola and Microsoft. Tata will be the first Indian entity to feature in the exclusive list.

The value of the Tata brand is estimated to have gone up from $1 billion in 1997 to $6 billion by 2005.