From Scooter to Steel Empire: Gunwant Singh Saluja, the Face of Mongia
Once a young man ferrying wire nails over 200 kilometers on a scooter, Gunwant Singh Saluja now heads the Mongia Group of Companies—one of Jharkhand’s most recognized steel brands after Tata. Facing the trauma of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots and the looting of his family’s steel plant, Saluja rebuilt from scratch, using creative marketing, and personal branding. Today, Mongia is a name etched across walls, and water bottles—while also supporting local tribal children and claiming nearly full local employment
Giridih: A self-made industrialist and Chairman of the Mongia Group of Companies, Gunwant Singh Saluja also doubles up as the brand ambassador of his own company. He even sells mineral water just to publicize Mongia. But once upon a time, Gunwant Singh used to ferry wire nails on a scooter, traveling over 200 kilometers just to sell his product.
The ‘brand ambassador’ has faced more hardships than just ferrying wire nails on his scooter. During the 1984 riots, following the assassination of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, Santpuria Steels—a steel plant set up by his father—was looted, and the entire family was left on the streets, literally.
But a new chapter began for the company when Gunwant Singh took complete charge of Santpuria Steel and founded the Mongia Group of Companies in 2003.
“Back then, our factory used to produce 30 tonnes of steel, but we were unable to market our products. I used to ponder ways to market our products creatively. In 2003, I saw a wall painter doing some work for his employer. I took him to my office and asked him to do some wall graffiti for our products. So, you see, the first advertisement of our product found its place on hundreds of walls across Jharkhand,” he said while speaking to eNewsroom.
However, he realized that mere product display wouldn’t do the trick—he needed a face to sell the product.
“I realized that to promote our products, we needed a face. But who would do the advertisement for us? We didn’t have enough money to hire a model to help us build our brand. At that time, I drew inspiration from an old man who used to promote his own brand of masala—the 95-year-old Dharampal Gulati, CEO of MDH Masala. I thought, if he could be the face of his brand, then why not me?” recalled the 56-year-old industrialist.
Elaborating on his key to success, he said, “I have never compromised on the quality of my product. My first tagline was, Jo Quality Ke Ghodey Pe Baitha Ho, Use Koi Hara Nahi Sakta (A man who rides high on quality will never be defeated), and this slogan is very close to my heart.”
Today, not only does his steel plant produce as much as 400 tonnes of steel a day, but he confidently adds that within a year, the company’s production will double. One thing that remains constant is the stream of innovative ideas he and his team keep implementing.
“Recently, we have supplied police barricades for cities like Ranchi and Jamshedpur. We gave 5,000 barricades to the police that carry advertisements for our brand Mongia, so that travelers can notice our brand while on the move,” he said.
These advertisements have had their impact. When Mahendra Singh Dhoni met Gunwant Singh in January, he mentioned having seen the barricades with Mongia’s advertisement in Ranchi.
However, now they no longer produce only steel. “We have diversified into producing mineral water. But it might surprise you to learn that we have done so solely to promote Mongia Steels,” he said with a laugh.
It cannot be denied that Mongia is the second-most recognized brand after Tata in the iron and steel industry—at least in Jharkhand. This man has also been the subject of research by the Department of Business Studies at Al Musana College of Technology in the Sultanate of Oman. And now comes the icing on the cake: an honorary doctorate degree from Ballsbridge University.
Amid all this, however, certain questions linger in the minds of locals. For instance, iron and steel factories operating in Giridih are often accused of not preferring local residents as employees. Clearing the air, he said, “Ninety-nine percent of my employees are local. I believe that those who work with you will not create problems. They need work too, so they won’t risk losing their jobs.”
The Mongia Group of Companies has around 400 employees contributing to its success.
When asked how he handles the pollution issue—given that most sponge iron factories and rolling mills openly violate pollution norms—he said, “I accept that our factories pollute the environment, as we use coal. But we try to lessen the impact by using a precipitator machine.”
Upon being reminded that many factory owners rarely use such machines despite having them, he added, “I was conferred with a doctorate not only for my industrial management, but also, I believe, for my CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) work, which helped build my reputation.”
Saluja is also the President of Birhor Vikas Samiti (Birhor Development Committee). The Birhors are a primitive tribe, with a pan-India population of about 1,200, the highest number residing in Jharkhand.
“In collaboration with other industrialists, we take care of about 135 children from this tribe. We keep them in a hostel in the township area, where they attend school and learn other life skills,” he shared.
When asked about his relationship with banks, the brand ambassador of Mongia laughed and said, “We have a BBB+ grading, and it is from an external body—CRISIL.”
