Biography : Father
of Indian Aviation : Pioneer Chairman of TATA Group :
Early
Career
Career
at Tata Group
J R D Tata at TATA Group
In 1938, when he was elected as the chairman of the board at Tata & Sons, he became the head of the largest Industrial group in India. He took over the post from his second cousin Nowroji Saklatwala.
Aviation
J R D Tata at Aviation Business of TATA
He is and always be known as the father of Indian civil aviation. He founded India's first commercial airline, Tata Airlines in 1932, which became Air India in 1946, now India's national airline. JRD Tata and his friend Nevill Vintcent worked together in building Tata Airlines.
Leadership
Skills
J R D Tata at Air Force of France
JRD Tata cared greatly for his workers. In 1956, he initiated a program of closer 'employee association with management' to give workers a stronger voice in the affairs of the company. He firmly believed in employee welfare and introduced the principles of an eight-hour working day, free medical aid, workers' provident scheme, and workmen's accident compensation schemes, which were later adopted as statutory requirements in India’s Industrial Scheme.
He started with 14 enterprises under his leadership and on 26 July 1988, when he left, Tata & Sons was a conglomerate of 95 enterprises which they either started or in which they had controlling interest.
Personal
Life and Family
J R D Tata & Wife
In 1930 JRD married Thelma Vicaji, the daughter of Jack 'Prince' Vicaji, a vivacious lawyer whom he had previously hired to defend him on a charge of driving his Bugatti too fast along Bombay's Marine Drive. Previously he had been engaged to Dinbai Mehta.
J R D Tata With Ratan Tata
As a trustee of the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust from its inception in 1932, JRD Tata made a lot of changes for the common man in India. He built the Tata Memorial Center for Cancer, Research and Treatment in 1941 though the trust, which is the first Cancer research Hospital in Asia.
Demise
Bharat Ratna, United
Nations Population
J R D Tata are Awaeded 2
1988
Daniel Guggenheim
Edward Warner
Legion of Honour
The Tony Jannus
Jehangir Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata was a French born, Indian
aviator, not to mention an unparalleled business tycoon. He is India’s first
licensed pilot, having qualified in 1929. For his extraordinary contribution to
industries, he was awarded the French Legion of Honour in 1983 and the Bharat
Ratna in 1992. Born in France to an Indian father and a French mother, Tata had an
idyllic childhood. His family was wealthy and had the means to fulfill the
curiosities of his young mind.
 |
| J R D Tata |
Early Life and Childhood
JRD Tata was born on
29th July 1904 in Paris to Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata, who was the first cousin of
Jamshedji Tata and one of the partners of Tata Sons, and his wife Susanne
Brière. He has a older sister named Sylla, a younger sister Rodabeh and two
younger brothers Darab and Jimmy Tata. Given that his mother was French, he spent most of his childhood in
France, growing up with French as his first language.
J R D Tata : At Childhood
Education
Jehangir attended the Janson De Sailly School in Paris, where he was
often mistaken for an Egyptian. He also attended the Cathedral and John Connon
School, in Mumbai, when his family relocated to India after his mother’s
premature death. Later he attended colleges in England, and Japan. He also relocated
once again with his family to London when his father joined Tata Sons. Although he wished to attend the Cambridge School to study Engineering,
he couldn’t; since French boys had to enlist for the Army for minimum of 12
months.
Early
Career
J R D Tata at Air Force of France
·
He started his career as a member of the Squadron in a regiment called
Le Saphis in the French Army. Being well educated young Tata knew how to speak,
read and type in French and English—a detail that got him posted as a secretary
in the office of the colonel.
·
After completing his one year of compulsory service in the French Army
he wanted to go to Cambridge for further education, but fate had other plans
for him.
·
His father, who had been working in Tata Company in India wanted his
son to join him. He joined Tata & Sons as an unpaid apprentice in 1925.
After his stint in
the army was over, his father insisted that JRD return to India and start
working at Tata. he joined the Company as an unpaid intern in 1925, but by
1938, at the age of 34, JRD was elected Chairman of Tata & Sons making him
the head of the largest industrial group in India.
It was in 1929 that he renounced his French Citizenship and became an
Indian. JRD was the first licensed pilot in India when he received his license
in February 1929. Having been heavily inspired by Louis Blériot, a famous
French aviator.
Career
at Tata Group
In 1938, when he was elected as the chairman of the board at Tata & Sons, he became the head of the largest Industrial group in India. He took over the post from his second cousin Nowroji Saklatwala.
For decades he ran the company with utmost care and high ethical
standards. He drove the Tata Group of companies into excellence in various
fields such as Steel, engineering, electricity, power and hospitality.
He did face major issues with the black market, but refused to bribe
politicians or make underhanded deals with anyone.
He founded Tata Motors in 1945. In 1968, he founded Tata Consultancy
Services as Tata Computer Centre.
In 1979, Tata Steel instituted a new practice: a worker being deemed to
be "at work" from the moment he leaves home for work till he returns
home from work. This made the company financially liable to the worker for any
mishap on the way to and from work. This is a policy that is mostly now used
under the name of “Employee Insurance” till date.
In 1987, he founded Titan Industries. Jamshedpur was also selected as a
UN Global Compact City because of the quality of life, conditions of
sanitation, roads and welfare that were offered by Tata Steel. He is also
the founder of Tata tea and Voltas apart from the big brands already mentioned.
Under his Chairmanship, The assets of the Tata Group grew from US $100
million to over US$5 Billion.
Aviation
He is and always be known as the father of Indian civil aviation. He founded India's first commercial airline, Tata Airlines in 1932, which became Air India in 1946, now India's national airline. JRD Tata and his friend Nevill Vintcent worked together in building Tata Airlines.
In 1948, Air India went global as Air India International under JRD
Tata’s leadership. In 1953, he was appointed the Chairman of the board for Air
India and inducted into the board of Indian Airlines.
For his crowning achievements in aviation, he was bestowed with the
title of Honorary Air Commodore of India.
Leadership
Skills
JRD Tata cared greatly for his workers. In 1956, he initiated a program of closer 'employee association with management' to give workers a stronger voice in the affairs of the company. He firmly believed in employee welfare and introduced the principles of an eight-hour working day, free medical aid, workers' provident scheme, and workmen's accident compensation schemes, which were later adopted as statutory requirements in India’s Industrial Scheme.
According to a statement he made to the New York Times, he was in
Support of Indira Gandhi’s declaration of Emergency powers.
"...things had gone too far. You can’t
imagine what we’ve been through here—strikes, boycotts, demonstrations. Why,
there were days I couldn’t walk out of my office into the street. The parliamentary
system is not suited to our needs."
Achievements
He started with 14 enterprises under his leadership and on 26 July 1988, when he left, Tata & Sons was a conglomerate of 95 enterprises which they either started or in which they had controlling interest.
Personal
Life and Family
In 1930 JRD married Thelma Vicaji, the daughter of Jack 'Prince' Vicaji, a vivacious lawyer whom he had previously hired to defend him on a charge of driving his Bugatti too fast along Bombay's Marine Drive. Previously he had been engaged to Dinbai Mehta.
Philanthropy
As a trustee of the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust from its inception in 1932, JRD Tata made a lot of changes for the common man in India. He built the Tata Memorial Center for Cancer, Research and Treatment in 1941 though the trust, which is the first Cancer research Hospital in Asia.
He also founded the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) in 1936,
the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) in 1945, and the National
Center for Performing Arts.
Demise
JRD Tata passed away on 29 November 1993 at the age of 89 of a kidney
infection in Geneva, Switzerland. He is
buried at Paris’ famous Père Lachaise Cemetery the same place as Honoré de
Balzac and the novelist Oscar Wilde.
Awards
J R D Tata are Awaeded
Bharat Ratna, United
Nations Population
1988
Daniel Guggenheim
1986
Edward Warner
1983
Legion of Honour
1979
The Tony Jannus
Full Name :
|
Jehangir Ratanji
Dadabhoy Tata
|
Born :
|
29th- Jul - 1904
|
Zodiac Sign :
|
|
Birth Place :
|
|
Lives In :
|
Switzerland / France / I
|
Country :
|
France / India
|
Education :
|
Janson De Sailly
School Paris,
Cathedral and John Connon School Mumbai |
Occupation :
|
Entrepreneur
Pilot Industrialist |
Industry :
|
FATHER
·
Ratanji
Dadabhoy Tata
MOTHER
·
Suzanne
SPOUSE/PARTNER:
·
Thelma Vicaji
Tata
FOUNDER/CO-FOUNDER
·
TCS, Tata
Motors, Titan Industries, Tata Tea, Voltas, Air India
NET WORTH
·
$1 billion
AWARDS:
·
Legion of
Honour
Bharat Ratna
Bharat Ratna