Photo credit: Michael Henninger/Post-Gazette
Field notes for the Pulitzer Center
In Jamshedpur, a city of one million people and the birthplace of steel in India, Tata Steel looms large in both an administrative and cultural sense. Founded in 1919, Jamshedpur was built and maintained by Tata Steel, which provided homes, schools, a hospital, churches and mosques, various parks and stadiums and basic municipal services for its workers.
The company remains in charge of the town today, as proposals over the years to transfer control to a municipal government have been voted down by residents.
One of the most popular activities today is a shaded stroll through Tata Steel Zoological Park, which offers glimpses of monkeys, lions, tigers, leopards and a short boat ride to Bat Island.