Naveen Jindal

Naveen Jindal
Naveen Jindal at the World Economic Forum
MP
Incumbent
Assumed office 2004
Preceded by	Kailasho Devi
Constituency	Kurukshetra
Personal details
Born	9 March 1970 (1970-03-09) (age 41) Hisar, Haryana, India
Political party	Indian National Congress
Spouse(s)	Shallu
Children	1 son and 1 daughter
Residence	Delhi and Kurukshetra
Alma mater	Delhi Public School, Mathura Road University of Delhi University of Texas at Dallas
Profession	Industrialist Politician Philanthropist[1] Sportsman
Religion	Hinduism
Website	Naveen Jindal
As of June 15, 2007 Source: [1]

Naveen Jindal (born 9 March 1970) is an Indian politician and Member of Parliament^[2] (MP) from the Kurukshetra Lok Sabha constituency in the northern Indian state of Haryana. He is the Chairman and Managing Director of Jindal Steel and Power Limited,^[3] which is part of the $15 billion diversified O.P. Jindal Group founded by his late industrialist father.

It was his initiative that led to a revision of the Flag Code of India which now grants every private citizen the right to fly the Indian National Flag publicly with dignity and honour on all days of the year.^[4]

He is an active campaigner for population stabilisation, women’s empowerment, environmental conservation, health and education. As an acknowledgement of his unrelenting support to his alma mater, in 2011 the University of Texas at Dallas, re-named its School of Management as The Naveen Jindal School of Management.^[5]

Naveen is an international level shooting champion who has represented India on numerous national and international platforms including the Asian Games.

Along with his wife – acclaimed Kuchipudi dancer Shallu Jindal – Naveen founded the Flag Foundation of India, which is their effort to foster respect for the Tiranga and the values it embodies among Indian youth.

He lives in Delhi with his wife and their two children.

Early Life and Education

Naveen Jindal was born in Hisar, Haryana, on 9 March 1970, the youngest child of the late industrialist-philanthropist-politician O.P. Jindal, former Minister of Power in the government of Haryana, India, and his wife Savitri Jindal. Naveen studied at Delhi Public School, Mathura Road, New Delhi, before graduating in Commerce from Hans Raj College, Delhi University in 1990. He subsequently completed an MBA degree from the University of Texas at Dallas, in 1992. His penchant for leadership became evident during his student days. He was the President of the Student Government and recipient of the Student Leader of the Year Award at the University of Texas at Dallas.

National Flag Initiative

In a country that has for years been extremely conservative and restrictive about the use of the National Flag, Naveen Jindal is single-handedly responsible for making the Tiranga more accessible to the average citizen. As President of the Student Government at the University of Texas at Dallas, Naveen was in the habit of displaying the Indian National Flag whenever possible, inspired by the American tradition that sees a show of the US flag as a mark of patriotism. He continued to do so when he returned to India, flying the flag at his factory premises in Raigarh in present-day Chhattisgarh. However, the Commissioner of Bilaspur objected to this practice, citing the Flag Code of India which at the time permitted private citizens to fly the Indian Tricolour only on Independence Day and Republic Day. Naveen filed a writ petition in the Delhi High Court in February 1995 contesting the restraints being placed on him by officials, and later disputed the government position in the Supreme Court too. Finally on January 15, 2002, the Union Cabinet accepted the report of the Dr P.D. Shenoy Committee that it had constituted to look into the matter, and announced that citizens will be free to fly the National Flag on all days of the year from January 26, 2002. The Government subsequently issued a new flag code (Flag Code of India 2002) which contained guidelines for flying the National Flag. Finally, on January 23, 2004, the Supreme Court of India too ruled in Naveen’s favour, bringing to a close an over-decade-long battle by a private citizen to take the Tiranga to the people. As a result of his efforts, the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill was introduced in Parliament in 2005. It was passed unanimously, granting citizens the right to display the National Flag on clothes and caps in a duly prescribed manner. In a bid to enthuse the public about the Tiranga, Naveen introduced the concept of “monumental flags” in India. Through his efforts, these gigantic flags are now flown at several locations across India. Following a subsequent campaign, he got a favourable ruling from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs on December 22, 2009, permitting monumental flags to be flown at night with appropriate illumination, contrary to the requirement at the time that all flags should be lowered after dusk.

On February 18, 2010, the Rules Committee of the Lok Sabha accepted his proposal to allow MPs to display the National Flag as a lapel pin while seated in the House.

On August 9, 2010, the High Court in Bilaspur, while quashing an FIR and complaint against the Naveen Jindal-led Jindal Steel and Power Limited, observed that not lowering the flag at night is not a violation of the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971. The historic judgment opened the door for the common person to fly the Tiranga at night too.

Naveen’s movement to place the National Flag within the reach of the average citizen has found further expression in the Flag Foundation of India which he established with his wife Shallu. The Foundation’s goal is to instill pride in the Tiranga among citizens through the arts, seminars and workshops aimed particularly at children and the youth.

Politics

Naveen Jindal’s involvement in politics dates back to his student days. His inclinations were natural since his father, the late O.P. Jindal, was a Minister in the Haryana government. After completing his post-graduation in the US, Naveen returned to India and began managing his father’s political affairs. In 2004 he stood for elections from the Kurukshetra constituency in the north Indian state of Haryana on an Indian National Congress ticket. He won, beating his nearest rival Abhay Singh Chautala by a tremendous margin of 1.6 lakh votes. He repeated the feat in the 2009 general elections. The two-time MP from Haryana is part of the “youth brigade” of the current Lok Sabha, widely hailed by the media as beacons for India’s future growth. His focus areas as an MP have been the problems of corruption, over-population, women’s exploitation, environment, health and education. Also on his agenda is the incorporation of the best practices of business management in politics.

Besides spending Rs 10.92 crore from the MPLAD (MP Local Area Development) Fund for Kurukshetra, Naveen has also drawn a total of Rs 47.55 crore from the O.P. Jindal Jan Kalyan Sansthan (a non-profit organisation named after his late father) for the overall development of the constituency. In a bid to green areas both in his constituency and the rest of Haryana as also to promote community sports and cultural interactions, O.P. Jindal parks have been developed in Kurukshetra, Hisar and Yamunanagar. Naveen has dipped into his personal funds to launch mobile medical vans and organise free health check-ups in his constituency, bringing healthcare to every doorstep.

Going beyond his own constituency, Naveen has shown his commitment to education, healthcare, the environment and upliftment of weaker sections across the state of Haryana and in the vicinity of his factories in other parts of India, through the setting up of hospitals and schools, the adoption of villages and other programmes.

Parliamentary Responsibilities & Initiatives

• Member, Standing Committee on Home Affairs
• Member, Consultative Committee, Ministry of Defence
• Special Invitee, Consultative Committee, Ministry of Civil Aviation
• Convener, Parliamentary Forum on Children
• Executive Member, Indian Parliamentary Group
• Additional Member, Parliamentary Forum on Population & Health
• Member, Kurukshetra Development Board
• Sports Secretary, Constitution Club of India
• Previously Convener, Sub-Committee on Modernisation of Prison Administration, Ministry of Home Affairs (2007, 2008)
• Based on Naveen’s plea, smoking was banned in the Central Hall of Parliament
• His sustained 3-year effort led to the Central government making Indian currency acceptable at Duty Free Shops at all international airports in India

Business

With an annual turnover of over US $2.9 billion, Jindal Steel and Power Limited (JSPL) is part of the US $15 billion diversified O. P. Jindal Group. JSPL (earlier known as Jindal Strips Limited) was a moderately performing enterprise when Naveen Jindal first took over its Raigarh and Raipur operations in 1993. His numerous initiatives have turned the company around in a short period. Today, JSPL operates the world’s largest coal-based sponge iron manufacturing plant in Raigarh, Chhattisgarh, in addition to plants in Jharkhand and Orissa. The company has set up captive power plants using waste products from the sponge iron making process to generate power. The company’s Rail and Universal Beam Mill at the JSPL plant in Raigarh manufactures the world’s longest rails in India, along with parallel flange beams and columns in large sizes (crucial to cost-effective and earthquake-resistant construction) for the first time in the country. This has helped the company gain entry into the highly competitive global market. Under Naveen’s leadership, JSPL has acquired coal and iron ore mines in Asia, Australia and Africa in a bid to achieve self-sufficiency in key raw materials for the manufacture of steel. In India, JSPL owns mines in Chhattisgarh and Orissa. The company is also engaged in diamond mining in the Democratic Republic of Congo in addition to the exploration of the precious stone in the states of Chhattisgarh, & Jharkhand in India. Naveen Jindal is the Chairman of Jindal Power Limited (a subsidiary of JSPL) which runs the 1,000 MW O.P. Jindal Thermal Power Plant in Raigarh, Chhattisgarh – India’s first such 1,000 MW plant in the private sector.

In 2011, Naveen was ranked among India’s Top 10 Most Powerful CEOs in a survey conducted by the Indian Market Research Bureau for the Economic Times Corporate Dossier. JSPL is now recognised and ranked among the top international players in its fields.

Social Responsibility

Apart from introducing global business practices into the functioning of his company at all levels, Naveen’s numerous social initiatives have led to an overall improvement in the quality of life in all regions where he has business interests.

JSPL has adopted 42 villages around the Raigarh plant, leading to electrification, introduction of sewage and sanitation facilities, safe drinking water and educational amenities, healthcare and women's welfare initiatives, building and maintenance of roads and parks.

He has established nine O.P. Jindal schools in Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Orissa and Delhi, in addition to the O. P. Jindal Global University in Haryana, as part of a bid to help India become a global knowledge leader.

Naveen’s goal is to bring world-class medical facilities to the people in and around all JSPL plants. He has set up a 100-bed multi-specialty O.P. Jindal Hospital & Research Centre in collaboration with Fortis in Raigarh and an OPD facility in the local government hospital. In addition, JSPL has set up charitable clinics in all its adopted villages.

Naveen has infused a green consciousness into all his business establishments. JSPL is an ISO 14001 certified company committed to conducting its business safely, ethically and in a responsible manner that protects natural resources and the environment. The company has adopted various eco-friendly technologies and set up an environmental laboratory in Raigarh to regularly monitor ambient air, water, effluents, solid waste etc, create a database and provide information to statutory bodies from time to time.

Almost 3 million trees have been planted at the Raigarh factory. Under Naveen’s leadership, green has become a byword in all JSPL operations.

Sports

Shooting

Naveen Jindal is an international level skeet shooting champion who has represented India on various major global platforms. He has trained under the legendary Juan Giha Yarur of Peru. He is currently the national record holder for skeet shooting. Naveen was part of the team that represented India at the Busan Asian Games in South Korea in 2002. He has also participated in the World Cup in Lonato, Italy (2001). He was part of the gold-medal-winning Indian skeet team at the Singapore Open Shooting Championship in 2007. He is currently a member of the Governing Body of The National Rifle Association of India.

Policy Initiatives for Shooters

Naveen Jindal has been the driving force behind several changes in the policy governing shooting as a sport in India, which has resulted in the easing of restrictions on sportspersons:

• Persons defined as “renowned shooters” can now sell old arms after 3 years instead of the earlier bar of 5 years, if they’ve maintained their status as renowned shooters for 3 years. This change was introduced in August 2007.
• The definition of “renowned shooter” has been changed with effect from October 2007 to mean any shooter attaining a minimum qualifying score prescribed by the National Rifle Association of India. The earlier definition was far narrower.
• The import duty of 31.703% has been withdrawn on Air Weapons and Air Pellets with effect from November 2008.
• Shooters were earlier allowed to import air weapons only after getting an import license. Since July 2005, the Government has begun permitting the import of Air Guns and Air Pistols free of import license to shooters registered with the Club, District, State or National Association.

Polo

Naveen Jindal began taking horse riding lessons at the age of 6. He subsequently became a polo player. Jindal Steel and Power is currently one of India’s finest polo teams and has won most of the country’s major tournaments.

Personal life

Naveen Jindal is the youngest child of Savitri and the late Om Prakash Jindal. His father was born into a farming family in Haryana’s Hisar district, but went on to become the founder of the steel and power conglomerate, the O.P. Jindal Group. Taking forward his life-long leanings towards philanthropy, O.P. Jindal stood for elections to the Haryana Legislative Assembly and won thrice in 1991, 2000 and 2005. He stood for elections to the Lok Sabha from Haryana’s Kurukshetra constituency in 1996 and won, becoming the first industrialist in the country to be elected to Parliament. He was serving as the Power Minister in the Haryana government when he passed away on March 31, 2005, at the age of 75.

Naveen’s mother Savitri Jindal is currently a member of the Haryana Legislative Assembly from Hisar and is the Chairperson Emeritus of Jindal Steel and Power Limited and JSW Steel.

Naveen has eight siblings: sisters Saroj Bhartia, Nirmala Goel, Urmila Bhuwalka, Sarika Jhunjhunwala and Seema Jajodia; and brothers Prithviraj, Sajjan and Rattan Jindal who are industrialists like him.

Naveen is married to Kuchipudi dancer Shallu Jindal. The couple have two children, a son and a daughter.

Honours and Awards

Individual

• University of Texas at Dallas, re-named its School of Management after Naveen Jindal in 2011. It is now called the Naveen Jindal School of Management^[6].
• Naveen Jindal has been ranked among India Inc’s Top 10 Most Powerful CEOs in a 2011 survey conducted by the Indian Market Research Bureau for The Economic Times’ Corporate Dossier
• Naveen Jindal has been featured in the Most Influential People’s List for the state of Haryana by India Today, 2011
• Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year award in the field of Energy and Infrastructure, 2010^[7]
• Distinguished Alumni Award for 2010, University of Texas at Dallas,
• CNBC's Most Promising Entrant Into The Big League Award at IBLA 2009 for Jindal Steel & Power Limited
• Was one among 25 Indians on the annual list of 250 Global Young Leaders selected by the Geneva-based World Economic Forum (WEF), 2007
• FICCI Annual Award for corporate initiatives in sports, 2006
• President, Student Government, University of Texas at Dallas, 1992
• Student Leader of the Year, University of Texas at Dallas, 1992

For Jindal Steel and Power (Under Naveen Jindal’s Leadership)

• Jindal Steel and Power Limited has been ranked No. 37 in Businessworld magazine’s annual “The BW Real 500” list of top Indian companies, 2011
• JSPL has been ranked the Second Highest Value Creator in the World by the prestigious Boston Consulting Group and first in the Mining and Materials industry category, 2010
• JSPL was awarded Forbes Asia’s ‘Fabulous 50’ international award in 2009 & 2010
• JSPL was ranked No. 25 in Businessworld’s list of Super 100 companies in India, the 15th Most Profitable and 18th in the Highest Market Capitalization category, 2010
• JSPL earned the top rank in the Steel category of Business Today’s BT 500 list of India’s Most Valuable Companies in the Private Sector, 2010
• JSPL was selected as the top Indian company in the Iron and Steel sector for the Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) Rolta Corporate Awards, Mumbai, 2010
• JSPL was rated the highest wealth creator in the country for the period 2005-09 and rated among India’s 50 Best Blue Chip Companies by Dalal Street Journal

Shooting

International

• Gold medal in the team skeet event for India at the Singapore Open Shooting Championship, 2007
• Silver medal in the team skeet event at the 9th South Asian Federation Games, Islamabad, Pakistan, 2004
• Bronze in the team event at the Singapore Shooting Invitation, 2003
• Silver in the team event at the Singapore Shooting Invitation, 2002

National

• Gold medal in individual skeet event at the 5th Sardar Sajjan Singh Memorial Master Shooting Competition, Jaipur, 2007
• Gold medal in the team skeet shooting event at the 49th National Shooting Championship, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, 2005
• Gold medal in team skeet shooting at the 48th National Shooting Championship, New Delhi, 2004
• Gold medal in the individual category (with a championship record) at the National Shooting Championship, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, 2003
• Gold medal (with a new national record) in the team event at the 47th National Shooting Championship, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, 2003
• Gold medal in the team skeet event (with a new Games record) at the 32nd National Games, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, 2002
• Gold medal in the team skeet event (with a new national record) at the 46th National Shooting Championship, New Delhi, 2002
• Gold medal in the team skeet event at the 45th National Shooting Championship, New Delhi, 2002
• Silver medal in skeet shooting at the 33rd National Games, Guwahati, Assam, 2007
• Silver medal in the individual category (with a new national record) in the 300 meter big bore prone position at the 50th National Shooting Championship, Indore, Madhya Pradesh, 2007
• Silver medal in the team event at the 50th National Shooting Championship, Indore, Madhya Pradesh, 2007
• Silver medal at the 50th National Shooting Championship, New Delhi, 2006
• Silver medal in the individual category (with a new national record) in the 300 meter big bore prone position at the 48th National Shooting Championship, Indore, Madhya Pradesh, 2004
• Silver medal in the team event at the 48th National Shooting Championship, Indore, Madhya Pradesh, 2004
• Silver medal in the individual event (with a new Games record) at the 32nd National Games, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, 2002
• Silver medal in the team skeet event at the 19th National Games, Mohali, Punjab, 2001
• Bronze medal for Haryana in the team event at the 52nd Big Bore Shooting Championship, Mhow, Madhya Pradesh, 2008
• Bronze medal in the individual event at the 45th National Shooting Championship, New Delhi, 2002

Polo Awards for Jindal Steel and Power

• SMS Gold Vase, 2009, 2000, 1999, 1997
• Maharaja Sir Pratap Singh Cup, 2009
• Northern India Championship, 2009
• Baroda Cup, 2007
• Indian Masters Polo Championship, 2005
• Maharaja Hari Singh Memorial Cup, 2004, 2000 & 1997
• Indian Polo Association Championship, 2004
• Maharaja Hari Singh Memorial Cup, 2003
• Indian Polo Association Championship, 2003
• Jiwaji Rao Scindia Gold Cup, 2003
• Maharaja Sir Pratap Singh Cup, 2002
• Baroda Cup, 2002
• Maharaj Prithi Singh Cup, 2001
• Darbhanga Cup, 2000
• Southern Command Cup, 2000
• Indian Navy Polo Stick, 2000
• Patiala Tri-centenary Polo Tournament, 1999
• Bhopal Pataudi Cup, consecutively from 1997 to 2001
• Ezra Cup, 1996
• Radha Mohan Rajinder Mohan Gold Vase, 1996

References

1. ^ "Naveen Jindal: Philanthropist Leader Shows the Way". Utdallas.edu. http://www.utdallas.edu/news/2011/10/7-13181_Naveen-Jindal-Philanthropist-Leader-Shows-the-Way_article-wide.html. 
2. ^ "Shri Naveen Jindal - Members of Parliament (Lok Sabha)". India.gov.in. http://india.gov.in/govt/loksabhampbiodata.php?mpcode=4041. 
3. ^ "Mr. Naveen Jindal - Chairman & Managing Director". Jindalsteelpower.com. http://www.jindalsteelpower.com/about-us/management/management-team.aspx. 
4. ^ "FIGHT TO FREE TIRANGA". Flagfoundationofindia.in. http://www.flagfoundationofindia.in/fight-to-free-tiranga.html. 
5. ^ "New Names for Management School, Management Honors Program Recognize Record Alumni Gifts". Utdallas.edu. http://www.utdallas.edu/news/2011/10/7-13041_New-Names-for-Management-School-Management-Honors-_article-wide.html. 
6. ^ "Management school in U.S. named after Naveen Jindal - The Hindu". Thehindu.com. http://www.thehindu.com/business/article2521066.ece. 
7. ^ "Shri Naveen Jindal - Entrepreneur Of The Year – Energy & Infrastructure - Ernst and Young". Ey.com. http://www.ey.com/IN/en/About-us/Entrepreneur-Of-The-Year/EOY-2010-India-finalist---Naveen-Jindal. 

Atma Singh Gill

|group2 = Bharatiya Janata Party (1) |list2 = Kishan Singh Sangwan }}

Persondata
Name	Jindal, Naveen
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1970-03-09
Place of birth	Hissar, Haryana, India
Date of death
Place of death