Swraj Paul, Baron Paul

Swraj Paul, Baron Paul
Born	(1931-02-18) February 18, 1931 Jullundur, Punjab Province, British India
Occupation(s)	Entrepreneur, philanthropist
Known for	Founder of Caparo Group; Labour life peer; Deputy Speaker of the House of Lords

Swraj Paul, Baron Paul, born on 18 February 1931, is a British entrepreneur and philanthropist originally from India. He was granted a Labour life peerage in 1996 during the tenure of Conservative Prime Minister John Major and currently holds the title Baron Paul, of Marylebone, located in the City of Westminster, sitting in the House of Lords as an independent peer. In December 2008, he assumed the role of deputy speaker in the Lords, and by October 2009, he was appointed to the Privy Council.

Early life and education

Paul was born in 1931 in Jullundur, within the Punjab Province. His father, Payare Lal, ran a modest foundry manufacturing steel buckets and agricultural tools. The site of his childhood residence is now home to Apeejay School.

His foundational schooling took place at Labbu Ram Doaba School, followed by studies at Forman Christian College in Lahore and Doaba College in Jalandhar. He then advanced his education in mechanical engineering in the United States, obtaining BSc, MSc, and MechE degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Business career

Following his graduation from MIT, Paul joined the family enterprise, Apeejay Group, which had been established by his father and was overseen by his elder siblings, Satya Paul and Jit Paul.

Caparo Group

In 1966, Paul relocated to the United Kingdom for medical treatment for his young daughter diagnosed with leukaemia. After her unfortunate death, he founded Natural Gas Tubes. Beginning with a single steel manufacturing unit, he expanded through strategic acquisitions to create the Caparo Group by 1968. Caparo grew into one of the largest steel conversion and distribution firms in the UK, producing a range of products including structural steels, precision tubes, spirally welded tubes, special bar qualities, industrial wires, cold rolled strip, and spring steel strip. Lord Paul retired from active management of Caparo in 1996.

By late 2015, Caparo employed more than 10,000 individuals across regions including North America, Europe, India, and the Middle East. However, in October 2015, sixteen out of twenty UK-based limited companies within Caparo Group entered administration. Shortly after this event, on 8 November 2015, Angad Paul—his son and CEO of the Group—passed away in an apparent suicide.

Public role and philanthropy

Lord Paul has engaged extensively in public service roles. By 2006, his commitments extended beyond his family business and foundation to more than a dozen organizations. The Ambika Paul Foundation—named to honor his daughter—allocates profits from Caparo India to various charitable initiatives. He also holds an honorary patronage with the Zoological Society of London and has sponsored significant enhancements at Regent's Park Zoo, including the Ambika Paul children's zoo.

In 2020, a donation amounting to $5 million was made to MIT for establishing "The Swraj Paul Theatre" at Kresge Auditorium.

Education

The Ambika Paul School of Technology in Jalandhar, India, was founded by the Foundation.

In 1997, Lord Paul took on the role of Pro-Chancellor at Thames Valley University and subsequently served as Chancellor from 1998 until 2005. Since 1998, he has held the position of Chancellor at the University of Wolverhampton. Following his contribution towards refurbishing the student union centre in 2010, it was renamed "The Ambika Paul Student Union Centre." Furthermore, his family foundation made a historic donation of £1 million in 2015, marking the largest single gift in the university's history.

From 2006 to 2014, he acted as Chancellor of the University of Westminster. During this period, his foundation provided £300,000 to establish the Ambika P3 event and exhibition venue.

Between 1998 and 2001, Lord Paul was a member of the Mechanical Engineering Visiting Committee at MIT. During his tenure, he initiated the creation of the Ambika Paul Mezzanine and Study Space and established the Swraj Paul Scholarship fund to support students.

Additionally, he serves on the President's Cabinet at Chapman University located in Orange, California.

International relations

Lord Paul played an active role in global affairs, acting as a government-appointed ambassador for British business interests from 1998 through 2010. He participated as a member of the Foreign Policy Centre Advisory Council and co-chaired the Indo-British Roundtable between 2000 and 2005. He also sought the chairmanship of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association with the objective of fostering stronger connections between Western and Eastern regions. Moreover, he was appointed by the Prime Minister to Panel 2000, which was tasked with revitalizing Britain's international image.

UK politics

As a significant contributor to UK politics, Lord Paul donated £500,000 to the Labour Party, becoming the largest supporter of Gordon Brown’s leadership campaign in 2007 and committing additional funds should an early election occur. He maintains a close relationship with Sarah Brown, spouse of former Prime Minister Gordon Brown, serving as chairman and trustee of Theirworld as well as chairman of Theirworld Projects Ltd from 2002 until 2015.

Notably, he was the first individual of Indian descent to hold the position of deputy speaker in the House of Lords—one among only twelve to have done so—and was appointed to the Privy Council in October 2009.

Lord Paul contributed significantly to London’s successful bid for the 2012 Olympics and its execution. As a board member during the bid process, he traveled internationally to garner support. He chaired the Olympic Delivery Committee within the London Development Agency, overseeing land acquisitions and ensuring that key venues were completed on schedule and within budget to secure a lasting legacy for the Games.

Awards and honours

Lord Paul’s accolades include fifteen honorary degrees awarded by universities across the United Kingdom, United States, India, Russia, and Switzerland. In 1983, he received the Padma Bhushan from then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and was honored with the Bharat Gaurav award by the Indian Merchants' Chamber. Additional distinguished awards include Freedom of the City of London (1998), Lifetime Achievement Award at the Asian Business Awards (2008), Donald C. Burnham Manufacturing Management Award (1995), and MIT’s Corporate Leadership Award (1989).

In recognition of his contributions to industry, education, and philanthropy, he was named "International Indian of Decade" in 2013. The following year brought Lifetime Achievement Awards from both the Black Country Asian Business Association and Global Skill Tree consortium for advancing India-UK educational collaboration. Also in 2014, he received the "International Icon of the Decade Award" from World Consulting Research Corporation for his impact on manufacturing, education, and charitable work.

In 2018, Lord Paul earned both the IOD Golden Peacock Award for Lifetime Achievement in Business Leadership and the Global Punjabi Society Lifetime Achievement Award. That year also saw him honored with the Int+ WCRC International Iconic Leader Award at the UK & Asia Business Awards alongside receiving the Mahatma Gandhi Honour from the NRI Institute.

June 2019 marked his receipt of an honorary Fellowship from the Zoological Society of London. In August 2020, both Lord Paul and Lady Paul were inducted into MIT’s Charter Society in recognition of their philanthropic contributions to MIT.

Controversy

In October 2009, The Sunday Times revealed that Lord Paul was unable to provide a satisfactory explanation for claiming £38,000 in expenses between January 2005 and July 2006. He promptly called for an inquiry and reimbursed £41,982—£15,000 more than what the House of Lords demanded. The Metropolitan Police conducted an investigation but concluded by February 2010 that there was no evidence to pursue a case. Several committees examined the issue, with the Privileges Committee determining that while Lord Paul had not acted with dishonesty, he had been negligent and subject to disciplinary action. Consequently, he faced a suspension lasting four months. Lord Paul described the verdict as "unreasonable" and, in June 2011, addressed the House of Lords advocating for constitutional reform.

On 1 November 2010, Paul stepped down from his position as Deputy Speaker, expressing concerns about the conduct of the process and criticizing it as being swayed by media-driven politics. Throughout, he has firmly denied any misconduct.

During the period from the 2019 to 2024 general elections, Lord Paul claimed £100,946 in allowances despite not participating in speeches, publications, committee or government roles, and casting only a single vote.

Personal life

According to the Sunday Times Rich List, Lord Paul ranks as Britain's 38th wealthiest individual; however, he reportedly opts for public transportation within London. Since the 1960s, he has lived in Portland Place in central London, where his family owns twelve flats each valued at close to one million pounds.

His son, Angad Paul, who previously served as CEO of Caparo plc, died after falling from his penthouse in Marylebone on 8 November 2015. Authorities found no suspicious factors related to his passing.

Publications

• Beyond Boundaries: A Memoir, Penguin Books, 1998
• Indira Gandhi, Heron Press, 1984 – biography of Indira Gandhi

External links

• Official biography on Caparo’s website
• Newstatesman.com