Officious government policies, the complexities of prospecting in barely accessible areas and sheer bad luck made matters worse. Jamsetji found his path blocked at every other turn by what his biographer, Frank Harris, called "those curious impediments which dog the steps of pioneers who attempt to modernise the East". The torturous twists and turns the steel project took would have defeated a lesser man, but Jamsetji remained steadfast in his determination to see the venture come to fruition.
Along the way he had to suffer the scorn of people such as Sir Frederick Upcott, the chief commissioner of the Great Indian Peninsular Railway, who promised to "eat every pound of steel rail [the Tatas] succeed in making".
There is no record of where Sir Frederick was when the first ingot of steel rolled out off the plant's production line in Jamsetji had been dead eight years by then, but his spirit it was, as much as the efforts of his son Dorab and cousin RD Tata, that made real the seemingly impossible. The brick-and-mortar endeavours that Jamsetji planned and executed were but one part of a grander idea.
How much of a man of the future he was can be gauged from his views about his workers and their welfare. Jamsetji's offered his people shorter working hours, well-ventilated workplaces, and provident fund and gratuity long before they became statutory in the West.
He spelt out his concept of a township for the workers at the steel plant in a letter he wrote to Dorab Tata in , five years before even a site for the enterprise had been decided. Reserve large areas for football, hockey and parks. Earmark areas for Hindu temples, Mohammedan mosques and Christian churches. Jamsetji's philanthropic principles were rooted in the belief that for India to climb out of poverty, its finest minds would have to be harnessed.
Charity and handouts were not his way, so he established the JN Tata Endowment in This enabled Indian students, regardless of caste or creed, to pursue higher studies in England. This beginning flowered into the Tata scholarships, which flourished to the extent that by , two out of every five Indians coming into the elite Indian Civil Service were Tata scholars. The objective of creating the Indian Institute of Science came from the same source, but here, as with the steel plant, Jamsetji had to endure long years of heartburn without getting any tangible recompense in his lifetime.
Jamsetji pledged Rs30 lakh from his personal fortune towards setting up the institute, drew up a blueprint of the shape it ought to take, and solicited the support of everyone from the Viceroy, Lord Curzon, to Swami Vivekananda to turn it into reality. Swami Vivekananda, in his backing of the idea, wrote in , "I am not aware if any project at once so opportune and so far reaching in its beneficent effects has ever been mooted in India The scheme grasps the vital point of weakness in our national well-being with a clearness of vision and tightness of grip, the mastery of which is only equalled by the munificence of the gift that is being ushered to the public.
The hydroelectric project faced fewer hurdles, but that too could not be completed while Jamsetji was alive. Frank Harris put it succinctly in his biography when he wrote, "He was one whose work lived after him in such a way that it is well-nigh impossible to draw a dividing line between conception and maturity.
The tributes paid to his memory always show how much the influence of the dead strengthened and inspired the deeds of the living. Of the ventures that did bear fruit while Jamsetji was alive, the Taj Mahal Hotel in Bombay has to rank highest. In , he finances the Indian team headed to the Paris games. India's aviation aspirations soar as JRD pilots the first flight of the subcontinent from Karachi to Mumbai. Tata Airlines later, Air India is born.
Donating all of his wealth Rs. Sir Dorab passes away the same year. His trusted lieutenant and passionate labour advocate Nowroji Saklatvala assumes Chairmanship of the Tata group. It remains an institution of excellence to this day.
At 34, he is the youngest Chairman in the group's history. Tata Chemicals is incorporated in isolated, coastal Mithapur. A thriving community grows around the plant as the company grows into a market leader. It pioneers cancer treatment in the country, and offers access to cancer care for all. The group's rapid business expansion continues with the establishment of Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company. By , it is rechristened Tata Motors. Women across the country celebrate as the group launches India's first cosmetics brand, Lakme.
Voltas is incorporated and is associated with multiple prestigious projects, making it a leading engineering solutions provider and airconditioning brand. The first Tata Mercedes-Benz truck rolls out in six months. The group's interest in the beverages space is brewing. Tata Exports now, Tata International is set up. India's first software services company, Tata Consultancy Services ushers in a new era.
Today, it is a truly global enterprise with a presence in 46 countries. JRD Tata and Dr. The brightest star among the companies that J. Irani, former managing director of Tata Steel. Irani says J. I was very attached to it. A few days later, I was in London, and I dug it out, bought it and on my return gave it to him.
His first impression was that of great happiness. Then I saw his expression changing. I said, 'But, no one would know. I still have it. Ratan Naval Tata, who took over from J. Ratan had the task of protecting it. So, again, consolidation had to happen. He actually insulated us from becoming sitting ducks for takeovers. It is said that many of Ratan Tata's business moves were not just cold, calculated decisions. Artists and musicians are trained to use their right brain.
Ratan Tata had an unusual combination, I found, where he would allow enough play for his intuition. Maybe coming out of his personality or his training in architecture.
Ratan Tata spearheaded the group's global pursuits. It was not just the big-bang purchases like Jaguar-Land Rover or Corus Steel, but also a well-thought-out expansion leveraging the group's strengths. Tata Chemicals, for instance, had been in the business of salt and soda ash for decades.
JRD continued to head Air India till when he was removed. Presently, the airline has been witnessing a great degree of tumult and disturbance as its debts rise.
The government has opted for privatizing the carrier through auction with the Tata group being the sole bidder for the same, as reported by Times Now. The group is running in over nations across six continents with over , employees, as of With its headquarters residing in Mumbai, Tata Group is running various primary business segments which include chemicals, materials, consumer products, energy information systems, etc.
The dominant investor of the firm is Tata Sons. Every Tata firm operates individually through the leadership and guidance of its board of directors. There are a total of 29 publicly-listed Tata companies having a combined market capitalization that has crossed past Rs 17 trillion mark.
Additionally, the trusts also back NGOs operating in the sectors of healthcare, livelihoods as well as education along with supporting various kinds of social welfare initiatives. The majority of shares of the Tata Group companies are held by the holding company of the Tata Group, namely the Tata Sons.
The firm is also the owner of the Tata name and Tata trademark on a global scale. He returned as interim Chairman in October till January when the new Chairman was appointed. Natarajan Chandrasekaran: Natarajan Chandrasekaran, who has been part of the board of Tata sons since October is the present Chairperson and additional director of the firm.
The Tata group with its phenomenal growth and rapid expansion over the decades has definitely laid the foundation for inspiring many aspiring new entrepreneurs, who wish to create a prominent place for their businesses in the future.
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