Dr. A S Firoz

Manganese Institute - Manganese picture

Dr. A. S. Firoz, retired in 2019 from the post of Chief Economist at the Economic Research Unit of the Ministry of Steel, after having put in more than 20 years at that position. He had studied Economics in India’s prestigious Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, to acquire is his Masters (MA) ,M.Phil. and Doctorate (Ph.D.) degrees.

He is a well-known expert and scholar in industrial development and growth issues focused on metal and natural resource industries, energy as also energy related products. He has been working for over 34 years on steel, aluminium, coal ( coking and thermal), metallurgical coke, petroleum coke, iron ore, manganese ore, natural stones, graphite electrodes, etc.. in both Indian and global context.

While on sabbatical from his government position and prior to that, he worked on several important research projects involving coal, iron ore, steel, manganese ore and oil with industry behemoths such as BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto, POSCO, the Aditya Birla Group, etc.. In addition, he was deeply involved in pathbreaking research works with organizations such as Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER), National Council for Applied Economic Research (NCAER), Federation of Indian Mineral Industries (FIMI), Hatch (UK and China), etc..

Firoz advised the government on various important policy and strategic development matters related to the iron and steel and coal and other related sectors. He is also seen as the architect of India’s Steel Policy 2017.

Currently, he is a strategy adviser on policy and economic affairs and works for multiple organizations on industry and policy related research projects of global importance, including issues such as climate change and decarbonization strategies.

Along with over five hundred publications in academic journals and newspapers, web based research publications, etc., he has addressed over one hundred and fifty international and national seminars and conferences in India and across over twenty five other countries.