In 1968 Lord Paul took out a £5,000 loan and opened Natural Gas Tubes. The company, based in Huntington in Cambridgeshire, manufactured spiral weld tubes and achieved first year sales of £14,000. In 2006 Caparo group’s sales exceeded £625m.
Lord Paul's roots go back to the little Punjab town of Jalandhar in India where, in 1910, his father started by making steel buckets, tubs, trunks and agricultural implements, and had a small foundry at the back of the family home. From this modest undertaking Apeejay Surrendra Group has grown into one of India's largest family owned industrial groups in a wide range of industries : steel, engineering, pharmaceuticals, hotels, shipping and tea.
Lord Paul and his brothers grew up surrounded by their father's small business and succeeded him in its diversification and expansion.
From his father, Lord Paul and his brothers learnt three important business lessons: integrity, hard work and the value of close family ties. Though the business prospered, the family continued to live frugally, following the Hindu prescription "simple living and high thinking". Anecdotes recall that when Lord Paul's mother was asked why she wore no jewels, she would proudly declare: "my sons are my jewels." This ethic of close family ties continued and Lord Paul attributes much of his business success to the moral and emotional support he received from his three brothers - Stya, Jit and Surrendra, and the happy home life created by his wife, Aruna.
This web site provides an overview of the companies that make up the Caparo Group today. It also aims to tell you something of the internal spirit, the "what drives Caparo" story. Above all this is the story of a vision inspired by Lord Paul’s daughter Ambika, who was responsible for his move to England.
History of Caparo Group
| 2008 | July | 11 | Caparo T1 smashes track record at Dubai Autodrome |
| 2007 | November | 01 | Caparo Vehicle Components, Inc. is formed which takes Caparo into the North American vehicle market |
| 2007 | June | 15 | Caparo Engineering acquire Polish forging company, Bomet |
| 2007 | June | 07 | Caparo T1 at Goodwood |
| 2007 | February | 02 | Caparo Precision Tubes acquire Hayes Tubes |
| 2007 | January | 25 | Sunil Pahilajani, country head for India, appointed to main board |
| 2007 | January | 18 | Caparo Engineering India Pvt Ltd. acquire the sheet metal business of IAL |
| 2006 | November | 23 | Sir Nick Scheele, former global COO of the Ford Motor Company, joins Caparo as Non-Executive Director |
| 2006 | November | 03 | Duke of York launches Caparo's 120 acre site in Chennai, India |
| 2006 | November | 01 | Caparo T1 makes debuts in America at the SEMA show |
| 2006 | October | 09 | Mint gallery hosts a one-off exhibition of designs from the Established and Sons collection |
| 2006 | October | 06 | Development of Studio Caparo, a bespoke design and manufacturing company, specialising in one-off pieces of furniture |
| 2006 | September | 01 | Purchase of Bridge Aluminium and the formation of Caparo Aluminium Bridge Aluminium is the largest UK aluminium gravity die caster and is a leading supplier of turbocharger and fuel injection components. Caparo is building Caparo Aluminium to be a leading global supplier of high quality, specialist aluminium cast components. |
| 2006 | August | 01 | Caparo Merchant Bar invest £6m in modifying two rolling mills |
| 2006 | May | 01 | Launch of Armacoil wire thread insert by Armstrong Precision Components |
| 2006 | May | 01 | Caparo Engineering Ltd acquire Zeus Aluminium Products, now renamed Caparo Aluminium Technologies |
| 2006 | April | 23 | Caparo T1 is launched in Monaco |
| 2006 | April | 15 | Caparo Vehicle Products acquire AP Braking of Leamington Spa |
| 2006 | April | 03 | Formation of Caparo Testing Technologies and purchase of controlling interest in Material Measurements Ltd. |
| 2006 | March | 13 | Caparo Vehicle Technolgies is launched Caparo Vehicle Technologies provides advanced technology development, materials engineering and design services to mainstream automotive, motorsport and aerospace markets. |
| 2006 | February | 01 | Creation of Vehicle Products division |
| 2006 | February | 01 | Inauguration of Bawal Stampings facility in India by Prof. Mervyn King, Governor of the Bank of England |
| 2005 | December | 31 | 2005 Summary : India:- Caparo Fasteners constructing new plant in Chopanki (RN). Caparo Engineering expansion in Pithampur (NP) and new plant in Greater Noida (UP). New Caparo India conference facility in Greater Noida (UP). Caparo Wire acquire H.S Pitt and Fairbright Industries. CMT Engineering's Dynamics division, acquire the vibration mounting business of Silvertown. |
| 2004 | December | 31 | 2004 Summary : Acquire Lipe Spain, Systems Scaffolding and Tyco European Tubing and Steel Strip, Caparo Steel Trading established. Caparo Maruti, India - Halol and Bawal plants established. Bull Moose Tube plant established in Casa Grande, Arizona, USA. |
| 2003 | December | 31 | 2003 Summary : Caparo Innovation Centre established - a collaboration with the University of Wolverhampton. |
| 2002 | December | 31 | 2002 Summary : Caparo Engineering India Pvt Ltd Pithampur, new pressing plant commences production. |
| 2001 | December | 31 | 2001 Summary : Caparo Hotels acquire Bignell Park Hotel, Oxfordshire. |
| 1997 | December | 31 | Acquire Warren Tube Division, USA. |
| 1995 | December | 31 | Caparo Merchant Bar invests in a second fully automated steel re-rolling mill. |
| 1994 | December | 31 | From a greenfield site Caparo ventures into plastics with Nupac. Caparo opens new steel pressing plant in Dehli, India as a joint venture with leading automotive company. The Ambika Paul Children's Zoo opens. Caparo celebrates 25 years! |
| 1993 | December | 31 | Sales now £360m. Record operating profits of £32m. |
| 1991 | December | 31 | Caparo Industries goes private. Buy back public 20%. |
| 1990 | June | 01 | Acquire Bock Industries, USA. |
| 1989 | December | 31 | Public takeover bid for Armstrong. |
| 1988 | December | 31 | Acquire Bull Moose Tubes, USA. |
| 1986 | December | 31 | UMB plant opened by the then Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr Nigel Lawson. |
| 1985 | December | 31 | UMB joint company formed with British Steel Corporation to develop new merchant bar mill at Scunthorpe. |
| 1984 | December | 31 | Acquire Wrexham Wire now Caparo Wire |
| 1983 | December | 31 | Public takeover bid for Barton Group. |
| 1981 | December | 31 | Public takeover bid for CMT |
| 1980 | December | 31 | Acquire control of quoted public company LK Industrial Investments - becomes Caparo Industries. |
| 1979 | December | 31 | Caparo Group formed as holding company for all our activities. |
| 1978 | November | 16 | Tredegar Spiral Weld Mill opened by late Prime Minister of India, Mrs Indira Gandhi. |
| 1977 | June | 03 | Tredegar factory opened by HRH The Prince of Wales. |
| 1975 | December | 31 | Begin building the new NGT Tredegar site. |
| 1968 | December | 31 | Natural Gas Tubes starts making spiral weld tubes at Huntingdon First year sales £14,000. |
Caparo Inspiration
“Ambika – who started it all. An angel that changed my life. Wherever she is, she will always be loved and missed” – Lord Paul.
Lord Paul came to Britain in 1966 for medical treatment for his daughter, Ambika. He remained in England after her tragic death in 1968 and sees all he has created in Caparo Group as a dedication to her memory. In 1994 Lord Paul took the opportunity to commemorate the rebuilding of London's Children's Zoo in her name. Whilst receiving treatment in London, the Zoo became Ambika’s favourite destination.