Jha told a committee of British lawmakers that there were "structural disadvantages" in the steel industry in Britain which made production unprofitable - something, he said, that had forced the company to put its assets up for sale.

He said there was no "dead drop" deadline for the sale of Tata's steel assets in Britain, but underlined that it was a matter of urgency for the company.

(Reporting by William James, writing by Elizabeth Piper, editing by Andy Bruce)