J.R.D. TATA
My father is a government servant in Jharkhand. So, I got my primary education living with my parents near Jamshedpur which is also known as Tata Nagar.
Later, I got a B. Tech (Mech.) degree from the Maryland Institute of Technology and Management (Jamshedpur). From my early childhood, I like the beauty of nature like lush green meadows, rivers, forests and hills, which is present all around here.
Subsequently, I know that this city is established by Jamshedji Tata and is also known as Steel City. People often say that it is Mini Mumbai. I was very curious to know about the Tatas. I was much more fascinated by the father of aviation in India so I decided to write a blog about JRD.
His father Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata was a noted businessman. His mother was a French citizen. His childhood was spent in France. So French was his first language. Before serving in the French army he studied in France, Japan, and England. He wanted to be an engineer but, was compelled to return to India to assume his role in the Tata family business in 1925 established in 1868 by his grandfather. Within a year his father had died, and Tata took his place as director of Tata Sons. He surrendered his French Citizenship in 1929 and that same year he became one of the first Indians to gain a commercial pilot’s licence. He is known as the father of Indian Aviation. He was a visionary who contributed to the economic development of the country. In 1932 Tata established Tata Air Mail connecting Karachi, Ahmedabad, Bombay and Madras. Tata Airlines India’s first domestic carrier airline changed its company name and the new name Air India is given by him.
As a chairman of the Tata Sons board, he was only 34 years of age and was the youngest man on the board.
Foundations by J.R.D Tata
Ø Air India
Ø Tata Motors
Ø Tata Consultancy Services
Ø Tata Chemicals
Ø Lakme Cosmetics
Ø Tata Institute of Fundamental Research
Ø The Bombay Flying Club
Ø The Tata Management Training Centre
Ø The Tata Institute of Social Sciences
Ø Voltas
Ø Titan Industries
Ø National Institute of Advanced Studies
Ø Tata Interactive Systems (now MPS Interactive System)
Ø Population Foundation of India (co. founded)
Next 50 years Tata strengthened existing businesses such as steel, power, hotels, chemicals, automobiles, pharmaceuticals, financial services and information technology. Till the nationalization of Air India and after he retained the chairmanship up to 1978.
JRD Tata with Air India Crew Members
Till 1991 more than 80 companies were under the Tata group and the empire was generating approximately $4 billion annually.
He had a strong will to develop and modernize India like another developed country in the world. He was a philanthropist so under his leadership several well-known institutions were established to promote scientific, medical and artistic endeavours in India. Examples, the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Tata Memorial Hospital, The Tata Institute of Social Sciences, The National Institute of Advance Sciences and The National Centre for Performing the Arts. He was a man who had a huge interest in sports from the beginning and used to devote a certain amount of time to exercise even in his 80s. Till the mid-70 he used to play tennis and golf and used weight training.
Awards, Honours and Achievements
Ø 1930: Won the second position in the Aga Khan Aviation Race
Ø 1957: Awarded Padma Vibhushan
Ø 1974: Became Air Vice Marshal, the third highest rank in the Indian Air force
Ø 1975: Received Sir Jehangir Ghandy Medal for Industrial peace
Ø 1979: Tony Jannus Award for Aviation
Ø 1983: Became commander of the French Legion of Honour
Ø 1985: Gold Air Medal
Ø 1986: Edward Warner Award
Ø 1988: Daniel Guggenheim Medal for aviation and the Dadabhai Naoroji Memorial Award
Ø 1992: United Nations Population Award
Ø 1992: Bharat Ratna Award in 1992 for his contribution to Indian industries- India’s highest civilian award
He was deep concern about family planning so he created The Family Planning Foundation in 1971. He was awarded several national and international awards. He founded the Tata administrative services and staff college to rebuke Indian talents to lead the business. He sold Bombay’s apartment and a significant portion of his shares to establish the J.R.D. and Thelma Tata Trust. This trust works for underprivileged women in the country. The Prime Minister of India Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru wrote to JRD Tata on 7 May 1949 complimenting him on Air India International Service.
He was a pioneer of modern Indian entrepreneurship and he was the longest-serving chairman of the Tata group. He was not having a formal education in business, but his vision and strategy for the Tata group of companies have transcended time and created an unparalleled precedent for businesses all over the world. He was an exemplary leader, who was accessible and approachable to everyone. He could quickly spot and hire talent and nurture them as well. He was considering individual strengths rather than shortcomings which were instrumental in creating strong teams throughout the organization. He was a man of consensus by his admittance. He never gives in to stating conflicting ideas, if he ever felt the need. He was never satisfied with the second best. He worked hard until his satisfaction. His thinking was diving headfirst into passion projects, and managing the risk that often accompanied them. He believed to contribute to India’s industrialization through core-sector evolution. The unwavering commitment and hard work towards his vision in the face of all adversity are what inspiring sagas are made of. In his name at Jamshedpur, there is a sports complex known as JRD Tata Sports Complex Stadium which has a capacity of 40,000 people. Currently, it is used mostly for association football matches and athletics competitions. This stadium has been the home stadium of Jamshedpur FC since the 2017–18 season. This stadium can hold 24,424–40,000 spectators for sports matches (depending on the event). This Complex is the largest sports arena in Jamshedpur, India. It is also used for conducting the Annual Sports Day of many reputed schools in Jamshedpur. It is a multi-use stadium, which provides athletes facilities to board, train and compete in the same sports arena. It has an international size football pitch with an eight-lane mono-synthetic running track around the field. This stadium is primarily used for football and athletics but it has facilities for various other sports including Archery, Basketball, Field Hockey, Handball, swimming, Table Tennis, Tennis, and Volleyball. This stadium has a full-service fitness centre which is free for resident athletes and is accessible to the citizens of Jamshedpur for a fee. It is also the headquarters for the Tata Chess Centre and Tata Archery Academy. It also has a world-class swimming pool in its complex.
In his name, there is also a library known as J R D Tata Memorial Library, popularly known as the Indian Institute of Science Library, which is one of the best Science and Technology libraries in India. In 1911, it started working as one of the first three departments in the Institute, it has become a precious national resource centre in the field of Science and Technology. It also receives annually about 10–12% grant of the total budget of the institute. Approximately 95% of the library grants toward periodical subscriptions, which is unparalleled in this part of the globe. With a collection of nearly 5 lakh volumes of Books, Periodicals, Technical Reports, and standards, the JRD Tata Memorial Library, is one of the best libraries in the country. It subscribes currently to over 14,000 current periodicals. It also has taken the lead in creating the academic profiles of all the IISc faculty, which gives seamless access to their full text of publications and citations. It has an Office of Data, another initiative of the library, which is the first of its kind by any university in India.
In his name, there are many more such places and institutions as he was the person who had a strong will to develop and modernize India like another developed country in the world. He is called the father of Indian Aviation. He was an industrialist, philanthropist, entrepreneur and chairman of Tata Group. His dedication, smartness, and hard work have made our country come forward in the competitive market and he is an inspiration for all those who want to become entrepreneurs. He died on 29 November 1993 at the age of 89 of a kidney infection. He will always be remembered for his contribution to the development of India.
thanks……