Some people affect others’ life but rare affects the life of an entire nation. Jehangir Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata, commonly known as JRD Tata dared to affect the nerves of India. Born on July 29, 1904 in Paris to Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata and a French mother, JRD was mild, thoughtful and intelligent. He spent most of his childhood in Paris as his mother was a French national. He returned to India in 1922 to resume its grandfather’s business and from there his love for the country began. A pioneer in aviation industry in the country, JRD flew the first commercial plane. He was the first licensed British pilot.
In 1926, he was appointed as the director of the Tata Sons Ltd. After his father’s death JRD became the chairman of the group in 1938. During his regime as the chairman, the group saw its golden time. He led the company into the major industrial areas including ironworks and steelworks, hotels, chemicals, engineering and others to make it the largest industrial house of that time. He even promoted Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company or Telco to manufacture locomotives for the Indian railways.
A pilot by choice, JRD was the first licensed British pilot. He was the founder of “Tata Airlines” in 1932, which became “Indian Airlines” by 1956. A man of vision, JRD was a strong supporter of family planning and floated programs to fight the war against increasing population. To bring the international standard at home, JRD established hotels, which are still considered as the epitome of hotel services. He also brought new technologies and innovation in India to give a competitive edge with Western world. Due to his valuable contribution, the government of India conferred JRD with its highest civilian honor “Bharat Ratna” in 1991. At the age of 90, JRD passed away leaving behind the quest of innovation, technological developments and vision of hope. But his charm and exclusive style will be deeply missed always.
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