Himal Iron celebrates golden jubilee

Himal Iron and Steel is celebrating its golden jubilee year.
The industry established in the year 1961 by late Maniharsha Jyoti, one of the pioneers in the industrialisation of Nepal, has over the years grown from strength to strength to become an example of industrialisation by the private sector, said chairman of the Jyoti Group Padma Jyoti.
Established with the slogan 'Himal builds beautiful and strong homes,' Himal Iron and Steel has been able to be the backbone of a strong Nepal providing around 450 direct jobs and thousands indirect jobs.
At a time, when there was no infrastructure, it was a distant dream of establishing an industry and that too of iron that was of very little use in the construction unlike the present time, he recalled the days at Parwanipur of Parsa district in 1961.
"Parwanipur was covered by dense shrubs and when Himal Iron was established steel rods were not even commonly used in Nepal," Jyoti, who is also a CA member said, adding, "With the course of time, Himal Iron has remarkably developed and progressed but has been consistent in the quality. "Installed with the Japanese machine in the very beginning, the industry at present has state-of-art equipments and machines."
Established with the authorised capital of Rs 2.9 million, the industry has at present Rs 800 million worth share investment apart from loans.
Himal Iron — the first iron and steel industry of Nepal — used to produce 8,000 tonnes during the early years but its capacity has been increased to more than 70,000 tonnes annually at present, said one of the oldest staff and the member of the board of director Lok Ratna Tuladhar. "It has a strong network of 108 dealers all over the country," he added.
Steel rods produced by Himal Iron — the first industry of Jyoti Group that was into trading business before Himal Iron — have been used to construct all kinds of small to big buildings, bridges and projects of Nepal at present, according to vice-chairman of Jyoti Group Dr Roop Jyoti.
From the Karnali Bridge — which is considered a role model for the use of best technology in South Asia — to the buildings of Nepal Telecom, Engineering College Pulchowk, Sunkoshi Hydropower House, and Kulekhani Hydropower Project, Soaltee Hotel, Everest Hotel, to Indian Embassy and Lincoln School Ravibhawan therr are various infrastructure projects that have used Himal Steel that has around 25 per cent market share in retail at present. "It produces 19 categories of iron rods," said the chairman of the Jyoti Group that was founded by the visionary Maniharsha Jyoti in the 1940s after his return from India, where he used to mine the ores and supply to the Steel Authority of India for sometime.
"Influenced by Mahamta Gandhi, Maniharsha Jyoti returned to the country and started his own trading house prior to establishing Himal Iron with a couple of friends," he added.