Rourkela: President A P J Abdul Kalam on May 15 said Swami Vivekananda was behind the birth of the steel industry in India.

Addressing a function after laying the foundation stone of the Biju Patnaik University of Technology, Kalam said Vivekananda and J R D Tata were sailing together in a ship in 1900.

When Swamiji wanted to know where JRD was going, the latter replied that he was visiting America to obtain the steel manufacturing technology.

Vivekananda had then advised JRD not only to obtain the technology, but also the processing and research know-how in the field of steel manufacturing and bring it to the country.

JRD was impressed by Swamiji's advice and later he set up the steel plant at Jamshedpur, Kalam said.

"When two great minds meet many things come up," he said, adding the vision helped in establishment of several steel plants followed by technical universities in the country.

Later, pushing aside the security cordon, he went up to the barricades and mingled with the public and a few school students, asking them how they were.

The uniformed students numbering about eight responded, "Sir, we are fine".

Kalam then proceeded to Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) and visited two of its units.

PTI