London-based business baron and philanthrophist Lord Swraj Paul calls himself 100% Indian and 100% British. It?s not difficult to understand why. He was born In India, but established his empire in London. His roots, he tells you proudly, go back to the little town of Jalandhar in Punjab, where he was born in 1931.

The chairman of the Caparo Group, which had a turnover of one billion euros, is also a member of the House of Lords and was knighted by the Queen in 1978. The NRI industrialist was also adjudged as the second richest in the British Midlands with a family business worth ?1.5 billion (Rs 12,000 crore), according to the Birmingham Post?s Rich List 2008. The British Ambassador for Overseas Business, Paul came next only to John Caudwell, founder of a mobile communications company, who is worth ?1.65 billion.

Paul?s journey has been an eventful one. He studied at Doaba School in Jalandhar while his father Payare Lal ran a small business of manufacturing steel buckets, tubs, trunks and agricultural implements. A small foundry behind the family home was his dad?s office. After school Paul went to Foreman Christian College in Lahore. He studied there for two years but had to move to Doaba College, Jalandhar, to complete his final year, after Partition. His enthusiasm to study engineering saw him travel to the US to do a master?s degree in mechanical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

He joined his family business of Apeejay Group in 1953, which was founded by his elder brother Satya Paul and is now looked after by Sushma Berlia, the daughter of Satya Paul. Their ways parted in 1966 when Swraj had to go to London with his family to get his daughter Ambika, who was suffering from leukemia, treated. But the trip changed his life. Despite efforts he lost his daughter and this shattered his life. Meditation and philosophy were two things that helped the grief stricken Paul to finally start afresh. He decided to stay on and start his business.

In 1968, Paul took a loan of ?5,000 loan set up Natural Gas Tubes Ltd in London. His background in steel helped him to set up a small manufacturing steel tools plant with three workers. It was the first plant under the name Caparo. From acquiring one steel unit, he went on to acquire more. In 1978 he founded the Caparo Group, which soon developed into one of the leading producers of welded steel tubes and spiral welded pipes in the UK. In 1980, the Natural Gas Tubes Ltd was renamed as Caparo. Today, Caparo Group is an umbrella company, which comprises diversified businesses like steel manufacturing, automotives and general engineering products, tubes, aluminium and iron foundry and hotels. The group also distributes films overseas and has a studio of its own.

It?s a little surprise that Paul is a satisfied man today. Recounting his journey, he says, ?It has been more than seven decades and I feel that I certainly have been lucky because God has given me a lot of happiness, reasonable amount of money, status, wonderful wife, children, their spouses and grandchildren. What else do I want? You can be as greedy as you want to be. But you should learn to be satisfied. That is perhaps what I have been able to achieve in life. I?m satisfied with my life.?

His success mantra is simple. Work hard and work with integrity. ?Work hard and enjoy what you do. Without hard work one cannot get anything, although luck does play an important role. One cannot choose to do what one wants but one can certainly start enjoying what one has to do.? When it comes to his life, he admits that his wife Aruna runs his life. ?One cannot succeed even half as much as one does when one has a good wife. I have been lucky that I have a great wife.? The business tycoon has three sons Ambar, Akash and Angad and one daughter Anjali. Though he handed over his business to his sons around 12 years back, he still he plays a non-executive role in the company.

He adds, ?My younger son Angad is the CEO of the Caparo Group and chairman of Caparo India. He is the only one who was not born in India but is positive about India.? Ambar and Akash are on the board of directors. Anjali deals in property in Britain and Dubai. She is also into promotion of Indian and Pakistani art.

Paul?s day starts at 5.30 am with prayers. It is followed by news on television, reading newspapers and making himself a cup of tea. By 8.30 am, he leaves for the office, spends half the day there and then goes to the House of the Lords. He returns home for dinner with the family.

His weekends are reserved for the family. His interests include travelling, art and working for educational causes. Paul manages to spare sometime for sports, too. ?I like football and cricket. I really enjoy T20 match. Sachin Tendulkar is a legend and also my favourite.

I am also looking forward to 2012 Olympics in Britain,? he adds. Though he avoids hectic travelling, Cape Town is the place where he loves to spend time. He also likes visiting Italy and Switzerland as these countries are more approachable.

Coming back to work, Paul is upbeat about India. ?We have done lots of expansion in the last three years. Caparo Group will step up its presence in India by setting up more automobile component plants across the country including three in Singur for Tata?s Nano. We are very positive and bullish about India. Caparo has presently 22 plants in India and 16 more are under construction. ?India is now in a phase where nobody can stop progress. People are realising the value of progress and we want to be a part of it.?

A part of his life was spent in Kolkata and that explains his fondness for the city. ?I have a very special association with Bengal and am happy that somebody has setup a very good project (Nano) in Bengal. Singur is a very good location. So, we were delighted to be invited. We are putting up the plants and will be as ready as the Tatas are. ?

Paul is also impressed with India?s growth. ?India is a completely different country now. Today it has the top most industrialists. What is interesting is that besides the Tatas, most of them are new and doing very well.?

Thanks to his connection with both Britain and India, Paul has observations to make about both countries. A great admirer and close friend of British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Paul is positive about the relationship between the two countries. ?Gordon Brown will prove to be the best prime minister Britain has had because he is not looking at short-term gains. He is very impressed with India and with Manmohan Singh. I think both of them will uplift the relationship between Indian and Britain.?

Well known for his business acumen, Paul is also a philathrophist. He captured headlines with his ?1 million donation to the London?s Regent Park Zoo, which had become his late daughter Ambika?s favourite destination while she was being treated in London. The donation saved the park from closure and was rebuilt in her name. Ambika Foundation works for causes of children and education. Recently, the foundation also pumped money into a School of Manufacturing Excellence in Jalandhar. ?I like to spend my money on education and betterment of children,? he says.

Over the years, Paul has gathered various honours. He is a Padma Bhushan and was also conferred with Bharat Gaurav award by the Indian Merchant?s Chamber.

He also holds the chancellorship of the University of Wolverhampton and the University of Westminster. Apart from being the member of the Foreign Policy Centre Advisory Council and MIT?s Mechanical Engineering Visiting Committee, he is also the chairman of the Olympic Delivery Committee for the London Olympics 2012.

A lot on his plate, but 77- year-old Paul is not complaining.

Fact File

* Swraj Paul was born in Jalandhar in 1931.

* His father Payare Lala ran a small business of manufacturing steel buckets, tubs, trunks and agricultural implements and worked from a small foundry behind the house.

* In 1968, Paul took ?5,000 loan to set up Natural Gas Tubes Ltd in London. In 1978, he founded the Caparo Group, which is one of the leading producers of welded steel tubes and spiral welded pipes in the UK today.

* He was knighted in 1978.