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Journalism of Courage
On October 8, Naz Parveen boarded her annual flight from New Delhi to Jamshedpur, her hometown. She could already savour the excitement of family reunions. However, just as she was preparing to celebrate, news from Mumbai cast a shadow over her plans: Ratan Tata, the chairperson of the Tata Group, was admitted to the hospital. A day later, the announcement of his passing sent waves of sorrow through the community. The once-illuminated town dimmed in mourning, with portraits of Ratan Tata lovingly displayed at the pandals for Durga Puja.
For Parveen and other residents of Jamshedpur, Ratan Tata’s passing was a deeply personal loss. “My grandfather, Safi Mohammed, dedicated 48 years to the Tata company here, and my father followed in his footsteps. Growing up, I heard stories of the Tatas as if they were tales of ancestors — they aren’t just like family; they are family,” she reflected.
The Tata family’s roots trace back to Navsari, Gujarat, where a boy named Nusserwanji Tata was born into a priestly household in 1822. As was customary, he married young to Jeevanbai, who returned to him a decade later upon reaching puberty. Shortly after, on March 3, 1839, they welcomed their son, Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata.
Determined to build a better life for his family, Nusserwanji left the comforts of village life and moved to Bombay with his wife and son. At just 20 years old, he launched a cotton export business, hoping to secure a good education for his son Jamsetji.
In 1835, Governor General Lord William Bentinck enacted the English Education Act, which redirected funds from the British Parliament to promote education and literature in India, making English the primary medium for higher education. Nusserwanji, with his keen foresight, recognised the significance of this shift. In 1856, he encouraged Jamsetji to seek admission to the newly established Elphinstone College in Bombay. Upon completing his studies, Jamsetji married the young Hirabai Dabu and became a father, welcoming a son they named Dorab.
In 1859, Jamsetji, along with Hirabai and their son Dorab, set sail for the British colony of Hong Kong. Backed by his father Nusserwanji and two other merchants, he launched Jamsetji and Ardeshir, a company focused on cotton and opium. In his book The Tatas: How A Family Built A Business And A Nation, journalist and author Girish Kuber notes, “In those days, trading in opium did not raise eyebrows the way it does in today’s world. It had medicinal uses and had been used extensively in the Crimean War (1853–56).”
Nusserwanji’s brother-in-law, Dadabhoy Tata, also an opium trader in Hong Kong, helped establish a formidable Tata presence overseas, exporting cotton to Europe and opium to China, while importing gold and textiles among other commodities. Business flourished, leading to a second office in Shanghai, again headed by Jamsetji.
The American Civil War (1861–65) created an unexpected opportunity for the Tatas, as it disrupted the American cotton supply to England and allowed Tatas to charge over double the prevailing rates. Seizing the moment, Jamsetji travelled to London to establish an office. However, after the war, the US regained its position as England’s main cotton supplier, plunging Jamsetji into crisis. To help pay off debts, Nusserwanji sold their house and gave the proceeds to his son. “Perhaps the trust associated with the Tata name began with this act,” notes Kuber.
During his time in England, Jamsetji gained valuable insights into manufacturing while travelling through Liverpool and Lancashire. Recognising his role as merely a trader, he shifted his focus to manufacturing. In 1869, he bought an old oil mill in Bombay and converted it into a cotton mill. On January 1, 1877, he established the Empress Mills in Nagpur, named in honour of Queen Victoria. He also introduced initiatives like a provident fund for workers’ retirement and insurance for workplace accidents.
Jamsetji acquired land in Panchgani, a hill station southeast of Mumbai, to establish a hospital for Parsis. In 1896, he also purchased land in Bangalore and Mysore to create the Tata Silk Farm, encouraging local farmers to experiment with silkworm breeding. Legend has it that after being denied entry to a hotel reserved for whites, he founded the Taj Mahal Palace, now a defining landmark of Mumbai, in 1903.
He was particularly passionate about training young Indians and, in 1892, began offering scholarships to deserving students for higher education abroad. He also met with Viceroy Curzon to advocate for an Indian centre of excellence in science and research. In his will, he stated, “In case the institute does not come up in my lifetime, my personal wealth may be used to build the same.” Although he passed away in 1904, his dream was later realised. RM Lala, in The Creation of Wealth: The Tatas from the 19th to the 21st Century, notes that the Maharaja of Mysore offered 371 acres in Bangalore for the institute, which was established in 1909 as the Indian Institute of Science (IISc).
Jamsetji’s elder son, Dorabji Tata, returned to India in 1879 after studying at the University of Cambridge and joined his brother Ratanji. As the Swadeshi Movement gained momentum in the early 20th century, advocating for the boycott of British goods in favour of Indian production, Dorabji successfully rallied 8,000 investors for the ambitious Tata Iron and Steel Company (TISCO), launched in 1907. When World War I started in 1914, Britain turned to its colonies for manpower and materials, and TISCO responded by producing 1,500 miles of steel tracks to meet this demand.
In addition to TISCO, the Tatas established Tata Oil Mills (TOMCO) in Kerala on December 10, 1917. TOMCO initially produced refined deodorised coconut oil, Cocogem, quickly earning a reputation for quality, followed by Hamam and Moti bathing soaps — both proud swadeshi products. However, the end of World War I in 1918 brought a crisis, prompting Dorabji to sell personal assets. His wife, Meherbai, had to pawn her jewels to save the company.
Both Dorabji and Meherbai were committed to the Freedom Movement, with Dorabji dedicating himself to the Swadeshi cause and Meherbai championing women’s rights. She actively campaigned for the Child Marriage Restraint Act (Sarda Act) of 1929. According to Kuber, “Not many know that it was Dorabji Tata who spearheaded the movement to get Indians to participate in the Olympics.” Meherbai shared his passion for sports, particularly tennis, winning over 60 prizes, including the ‘Triple Crown’ at the Western India Tennis Tournament.
Brothers Dorab and Ratanji Tata established pioneering trusts to enhance India’s educational and social landscape, including the Sir Ratan Tata Trust (1919) and the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust (1932). Additionally, the Lady Meherbai D. Tata Education Trust, founded by Dorabji in memory of his wife, aimed to support women graduates studying social work abroad.
Dorabji envisioned a world-class cancer treatment facility in India but passed away on June 3, 1932. In his honour, his cousin and successor, Nowroji Saklatwala, who chaired the Tata Group from 1932 to 1938, dedicated himself to founding the Tata Memorial Hospital in Parel, Bombay, which was established on February 28, 1941.
Nowroji, the son of Jamsetji’s sister Virbai, was a passionate sports enthusiast and instrumental in establishing the Cricket Club of India. Following a devastating earthquake in Munger, Bihar, he built a temporary hospital for the injured. Under Saklatwala’s guidance, funds from the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust led to the creation of the Sir Dorabji Tata Graduate School of Social Work in 1936, which later became the Tata Institute of Social Sciences. He passed away from a heart attack in 1938, leaving the ambitious JRD Tata, who was only 34 years old, to continue the legacy.
JRD Tata was raised in France by his father, Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata, a cousin of Jamsetji Tata, and mother, Suzanne Briere. Although he intended to study engineering at Cambridge, his father insisted he return to Bombay and later, Jamshedpur to join the family business. After Ratanji’s death in 1926, JRD took charge. His passion for aviation led him to establish Tata Aviation Services, later renamed Tata Airlines, in late 1932.
Understanding JRD’s journey also involves his cousin Naval Tata, son of Ratan Jamsetji Tata. Adopted by Ratanji’s widow, Lady Navajbai, Naval joined the Tata Group on June 1, 1930, and proposed JRD for the chairmanship after Saklatwala’s death in 1938.
Under JRD’s leadership, the Tata enterprise underwent significant transformations. He eliminated privileges for senior leaders, ensured equal treatment and appointed a chairman for each company to foster administrative stability, which led to the creation of Tata Chemicals in 1939 in Mithapur, Gujarat.
A pivotal moment came when Homi Bhabha, a young Parsi boy and advisor to the Tatas, wrote to JRD about funding for technology research. JRD supported the establishment of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), inaugurated on June 1, 1945. “My father worked at TIFR, where Homi Bhabha led and JRD frequently visited. He often cited them as examples, telling me that good leadership prioritises listening to everyone, even the janitor,” says Roshni Master, a consultant based in Mumbai.
In 1945, JRD acquired a small factory in Jamshedpur from the railways and transformed it into the Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company Limited (TELCO; later Tata Motors), which quickly began producing steam engines.
In 1948, JRD launched Air India International, India’s first international airline, and in 1952, he founded Lakmé, a beauty products line, with Simone, Naval Tata’s second wife, at the helm.
As the Indian government pursued nationalisation, JRD faced significant challenges. He argued that nationalisation politicised sectors and harmed the economy. The government nationalised several successful Tata ventures, including New India Assurance Company and Air India International. Yet by 1956, the Tata empire had expanded to 46 countries.
In the early 1990s, despite JRD’s health declining, he remained resolute. On March 3, 1991, he celebrated the Foundation Day of Jamshedpur, rallying the community. However, the question of succession loomed. Although married to Thelma Vicaji, they had no children. In a pivotal meeting on March 25, he proposed Ratan, the son of Naval Tata, as his successor.
Akash Mukhopadhyay, a software engineer based in Bangalore and originally from Jamshedpur, embodies the spirit of March 3: “On that day, the Tata community comes together to honour JRD Tata’s birthday. The town transforms as tableaux featuring employees parade by. I recall Ratan Tata Sir warmly shaking hands and posing for photographs — truly embodying the spirit of the Tatas. He was undeniably the rightful successor.”
Ratan Tata was deeply shaped by his grandmother, Lady Navajbai, who raised him and his brother Jimmy after their parents separated when Ratan was 10. She instilled in them the values of integrity and composure. “We often overlook it, but the Tata men were raised by fiercely witty and independent women,” Roshni Master noted with a smile.
Ratan’s father remarried Simone in 1955, and they had a son, Noel. After earning a degree in architecture from Cornell University, Ratan returned to India in 1962 and joined Tata Steel in Jamshedpur, where he worked for nearly six years.
In 1991, Ratan Tata assumed the role of Chairman of Tata Sons and initiated a comprehensive restructuring of the Tata Group amidst India’s economic liberalisation. By 2000, the group experienced a remarkable growth trajectory, marked by significant acquisitions, including Tetley, Jaguar Land Rover, and Brunner Mond.
Pilot Teena Goswami recounts a memorable encounter with Ratan Tata: “I vividly recall visiting the Jaguar showroom with my husband and our two sons — (younger) one merely two months old. Ratan Tata arrived with a young girl, the daughter of a staff member, in search of a car. However, upon noticing us, he took the time to engage with my sons, offering congratulations and personally explaining the features of the vehicles. While Jaguars are great cars, he made the experience truly extraordinary.”
In 2008, Ratan Tata launched Tata Nano, a groundbreaking small car project, and was conferred with the Padma Vibhushan, India’s second-highest civilian honour. By December 2012, after 50 years with the Tata Group, he stepped down as Chairman but was appointed Chairman Emeritus.
Noel, Ratan’s half-brother, was appointed Chairman of Tata Trusts on October 9. He has three children — son Neville and daughters Leah and Maya — who manage various branches of the Tata Empire.
This glimpse into the Tata family reveals an empire that goes beyond mere lineage. As one Tata employee expressed, “I may not have the Tata surname, but I feel just as much a part of the family.”
“Every generation that has worked at Tata Group ensures that the next joins this organisation and gives back in gratitude for the love and care the Tata founders showed to their families,” says Satyaki Bose, a Lead User Experience Designer in Hyderabad, whose family’s three generations have worked for the Tatas.
Further Reading:
The Tatas: How A Family Built A Business And A Nation by Girish Kuber
The Greatest Company In The World: The Story Of Tata by Peter Casey
The Creation of Wealth: The Tatas from the 19th to the 21st Century by R.M. Lala
Between Boston and Bombay: Cultural and Commercial Encounters of Yankees and Parsis, 1771-1865 by Jenny Rose
