Born on 4 December 1947 at Faizabad, U.P., Mr. Saran secured a Bachelor’s Degree in Mining Engineering from Indian Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University in 1969. He served Tata Steel for 25 years, starting from their various mines, Paradip Port and Kolkata & Jamshedpur Offices. He rose to the position of Director – Raw Materials, Tata Steel in 1988 & Director of Budgets in 1993. He availed voluntary retirement from 31 March, 1994. Mr. Saran founded the VISA Group in April 1994 and has built it up from scratch to a significant minerals and metals conglomerate. Philanthropically, creating and improving educational and medical facilities for the poor in backward districts of Odisha, UP and West Bengal through “VISA Trust”, founded by him and his wife.

Mr. Saran is Honorary Consul of the Republic of Bulgaria for Eastern India; Trustee on the Board of Kalyan Bharti Trust and VISA Trust; Chairman of the Board of Governors, Heritage Law College, Kolkata; Member of National Executive Committee of Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce Industry (FICCI).

Formerly, Mr. Saran was the President of Indian Chamber of Commerce, Kolkata; President of Coal Consumers Association; Trustee on the Board of Chennai Port Trust; Member of Governing Council of the International Chromium Development Association, Paris; Raw Material Committee of the International Iron & Steel Institute, Brussels; CII Eastern Regional Committee; Board of Tata Sponge Iron Limited and Standard Chrome Limited.