Rajen Mookerjee
Encyclopedia
Sir Rajen Mookerjee, KCIE
KCIE
KCIE may refer to:* Knight Commander, one of the ranks of the Order of the Indian Empire* KCIE , a radio station licensed to Dulce, New Mexico, United States...

, KCVO
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...

 (full name Rajendranath Mookerjee; the family surname was spelt by them differently from the standard “Mukherjee.”) was a pioneering India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

n industrialist.

Early life

He lost his father when he was just six years old and was brought up by his mother. He studied engineering for three years at present day Bengal Engineering and Science University, Shibpur then located at Presidency College, Calcutta. He started as a contractor and later earned fame as an engineer and businessman.

Achievements

Among his achievements were the construction of Palta water works and the Victoria Memorial
Victoria Memorial (India)
The Victoria Memorial, officially the Victoria Memorial Hall, is a memorial building dedicated to Victoria, Queen of the United Kingdom and Empress of India, which is located in Kolkata, India – the capital of West Bengal and a former capital of British India. It currently serves as a museum and a...

 at Kolkata. He pioneered the laying down and operations of Martin Light Railway.

Along with Sir Acquin Martin, he founded Martin & Co. and contributed to the success of Bengal Iron at Kulti
Kulti
Kulti is a city and a municipality in Bardhaman district in the Indian state of West Bengal.-Geography:Kulti is located at latitude 23°43'60N and longitude 86°50'60E at an elevation of 114 meters. The Asansol-Durgapur region is composed of undulating latterite soil. This area lies between two...

. Later he joined G.H.Fairhurst in founding the iron works of The Indian Iron and Steel Company
IISCO
IISCO Steel Plant of Steel Authority of India Limited is located at Burnpur, near Asansol. The turbulent history of the plant, starting from its pioneering days, has found it a place in industrial history....

 at Burnpur
Burnpur
Burnpur is an important industrial city in Asansol sub-division in the state of West Bengal, India . It is located in Bardhaman District, in the heart of the mining-industrial belt in the western periphery of the state....

.

He first went to England in 1901 and later several times in connection with his business. In 1908, Mookerjee was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Indian Empire
Order of the Indian Empire
The Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria in 1878. The Order includes members of three classes:#Knight Grand Commander #Knight Commander #Companion...

 (CIE). In 1911, he became sheriff of Kolkata. Also in 1911, he was knighted with the KCIE. In 1922, Mookerjee was further honoured with the dignity of a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...

 (KCVO). In 1931, the University of Calcutta
University of Calcutta
The University of Calcutta is a public university located in the city of Kolkata , India, founded on 24 January 1857...

 honoured him with an honorary D.Sc. (Engineering). He presided over the 8th session of Indian Science Congress
Indian Science Congress Association
Indian Science Congress Association is a premier scientific organisation of India,started in the year 1914, with Headquarters at Kolkata.. It meets annually in the first week of January every year.-Introduction:...

 held at Kolkata in 1921.

Sir Biren Mookerjee
Biren Mookerjee
Sir Biren Mookerjee was a leading industrialist who established the IISCO steel plant at Burnpur and other industrial establishments...

was his second son.
Jitendra Nath Mookerjee was his eldest son and Mahendra Nath Mookerjee was his youngest son.
His grandsons, Ramen Mookerjee and Robin Mookerjee took over the reins of Martin Burn & Co. after the death of his sons.

External links

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