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Kumar Bhattacharyya, giant of British manufacturing, dies
His passing away was announced by the University of Warwick, where he founded the reputed Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG) that provided research base for a range of industries, including the Tata Group.
Celebrated engineer and member of the House of Lords, Kumar Bhattacharyya, who played a pivotal role in engineering and manufacturing in the United Kingdom, besides advising the Tata group over the decades, died on Friday after a short illness aged 78.
His passing away was announced by the University of Warwick, where he founded the reputed Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG) that provided research base for a range of industries, including the Tata Group.
David Normington, pro-chancellor of the university, paid tributes to Bhattacharyya, an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, calling him a “force of nature”.
He said, “Long before I joined the University of Warwick Council, I knew of Professor Lord Bhattacharyya as an adviser to successive prime ministers and secretaries of state and a tireless advocate for the UK manufacturing industry.”
“He was a force of nature. He pushed at boundaries, he changed lives, he created jobs, and he set the standard for how universities should work with industry. Most of all, for so many of us, he was also a kind and generous friend. We shall miss him terribly, but here at Warwick he will remain our inspiration for many years to come.
Bhattacharyya was the recipient of several awards and honours in India, the UK and elsewhere, including the India’s Padma Bhushan and the British civilian honour of CBE.
Warwick’s vice-chancellor Stuart Croft said, “Professor Lord Bhattacharyya served for four decades at Warwick founding and leading WMG. However, his service goes far beyond this University.”
“The achievements of WMG, particularly his own wisdom, passion, and advocacy of the importance of manufacturing, technology, research teaching, and training has helped guide regional, national and international leaders, business figures and policy makers,” he said.
“He has helped preserve and create jobs and transform companies, economies, and individual lives, above all in our region. We mourn the passing of a unique man but we also celebrate all that he has achieved and are thankful that those achievements will have a massive impact for years to come,” Croft added.
Business secretary Greg Clark, said: “I am deeply saddened by the death of Professor Lord Bhattacharyya. Kumar has been a heroic figure, helping establish in Britain a world-wide reputation for excellence and innovation in advanced manufacturing”.
“Through the WMG, which he founded, and through his extraordinary energy and tenacity Kumar encouraged many firms to locate and expand in Britain. Hundreds of thousands of people in Britain owe their livelihoods to Kumar Bhattacharyya”.
“It has been a personal privilege to be able to work so closely with Kumar, who helped inspire our modern Industrial Strategy, and to be his friend. Kumar will be sorely missed by everyone who knew him, and our thoughts are with his wife Bridie, their three daughters Anita, Tina and Malini and their family”.
