Wolverhampton, March 24: Swraj Paul has spoken for the first time in public about his son, Angad, who died in tragic circumstances in November last year.

The steel tycoon, who flew to India yesterday, was in Wolverhampton the day before where the impressive new business school was officially named the "Lord Swraj Paul Building".

This was the first time Swraj had felt able to make a speech in public since the events of November 9 when his youngest son, Angad, 45, the CEO of the Caparo group, fell to his death at the apartment block in London where he and other members of the Paul family have their homes.

With his wife, Aruna, by his side, the peer addressed the gathering at Wolverhampton University where he has been chancellor since 1999.

"This is an occasion when I really miss my son, Angad, because he actually took a great deal of the responsibility from my shoulders, leaving me more time to spend on my two great interests - children and education," said Swraj.

He also remembered his daughter, Ambika, who died of leukaemia, in 1968, aged not even five. Swraj, who had come to London in 1966 to seek medical treatment for her, decided to settle in England after her death.

"And just a few months ago we were here to dedicate the Ambika Paul building in memory of our daughter Ambika, an angel who changed my life," Swraj said on Tuesday.

Then he added: "Angad, I am proud of the contribution you made to building Caparo and all your other achievements. Both of you will always remain in our hearts."

Tuesday was picked as the naming day for the business centre because it was Aruna's 80th birthday. She and Swraj, who turned 85 on February 18, have been married for 60 years, he said.

In a separate interview, Swraj said he was working harder than ever before. But that was partly because he wanted to keep alive the memory of his son, who is survived by his wife, Michelle, and their children, daughter Amalya, 10, and son Arki, 8.

"You see losing not one but two children right in front of your own eyes is the most difficult thing..." Swraj's voice trailed off.

He gives Angad much of the credit for Caparo's expansion in India. "The credit for what has happened in India since 1994 goes to him. He loved India and was very proud he was Indian."

He emphasised: "That is why I am determined to expand more and more in India."

In India, Caparo already has some 30 factories - and it may put up more, possibly in and around Calcutta where Swraj and Aruna grew up. There were tentative talks with Mamata Banerjee when the Bengal chief minister dropped in to see him during her visit to London last July.

The closing months of 2015 had represented a terrible low in his life. It was bad enough that 16 companies in Caparo Industries had to call in administrators, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), on October 20, raising the possibility that 1,700 jobs in steel and engineering would be lost (in the event, 11 of the 16 companies were sold to Liberty, a steel company, and 1,200 jobs were saved).

Swraj keeps the Caparo name, and the groups businesses in America and India and his other interests in the UK remain unaffected. In Missouri, a hotel Swraj is putting up with a local partner will be named after his son.

Angad's passing has not only traumatised his family but his energy, drive and ability to keep coming up with new business ideas are also being missed at Caparo, says Swraj.

There are the very qualities which persuaded him to appoint Angad Caparo's chief executive officer in 2002 when he was only 32.

He and Aruna showed great dignity at Angad's funeral in London when some 1,000 mourners attended.

He has since sent out 2,000 cards thanking all who had written with moving condolences messages.

"Such lovely letters," sighs Swraj. "They have come from all over the world. I have had a letter from the man who was principal at The Hall, his prep school, before he went to Harrow. There were people from all over the world at his funeral."

But the letters have provided much comfort for they show "how loved he was. He was a very happy person. His friends were not only Indians but English, Americans, Africans, from the Middle East."

He was at a loss to really understand what prompted Angad's death. "It is difficult to say - what prompted him I really don't know. What happens...this is an impulsive thing... unfortunately, you think for a moment... it must have been a combination of factors...."

Angad was a man of many parts. For example, he loved movies and was executive producer on Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, the film which launched Guy Ritchie (Madonna's ex-husband) and was a huge hit at the box office.

Angad is remembered in a film that has just been released. It is called Eddie the Eagle. The film's director, Dexter Fletcher, and producer Matthew Vaughan had worked with Angad previously.

In a letter to Swraj, Fletcher wrote: "He was a great friend to us both and his support of Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels changed a lot of very talented peoples' loves. The film simply couldn't have happened without him. He was always great company and will be missed very much. We felt that a tribute at the end of Eddie the Eagle was a fitting way of saying thank you to Angad and remembering his great spirit and friendship."

Swraj is not someone who normally goes to the pictures but he attended the London premiere of Eddie the Eagle.