The and his

a tata review publication
l
march 03, 2014
02
04
Profile
The visionary
Jamsetji Tata
birthplace
Navsari: Where
it all began
Businesses
06
08
Textiles,
Hospitality,
Steel and Power
Photofeature
A multifaceted
personality
education
12
The
legend
and his
A tribute to
Tata Founder
Jamsetji Tata
legacy
The JN Tata
Endowment
Scheme and
Indian Institute
of Science
Minor
businesses
14
15
16
Ship building,
Sericulture,
Egyptian cotton,
Mango trade
The Other
Side
Lighter
moments
Obituaries
An irreparable
loss
02 profile
For Jamsetji Tata, wealth was never an end
in itself; it was the means to an end, the
greater prosperity of India. Stanley Reed
a tata review publication l march 03, 2014
The titan
who saw
tomorrow
Jamsetji Tata’s vision and business acumen would
have been enough to mark him as an extraordinary
figure, but what made him truly unique, the quality
that placed him in the pantheon of modern India’s
greatest sons, was his humaneness
H
milestones
ad Jamsetji Tata lived in
Europe or America, his
name would have been
more familiar to the public.” This
is what Frank Harris wrote about
the Founder of the Tata group in his
book, Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata: A
Chronicle of his Life.
Jamsetji was more than an
entrepreneur who helped India claim
a place in the league of industrialised
nations. He was a patriot and a
humanist, a man of his times and
beyond, whose ideals and vision
shaped an exceptional business
conglomerate. These attributes
contributed to shaping Jamsetji’s
world view as an industrialist, one
with a sturdy bent for nationalism and
a strong heart for social development.
Born on March 3, 1839, Jamsetji
was raised in the sleepy town of
Navsari in Gujarat, the first child
and only son of Nusserwanji Tata,
Jamsetji
Nusserwanji
Tata is born
in Navsari,
Gujarat on
March 3
the scion of a family of Parsi priests.
When he was 13, he joined his father
in Bombay (now Mumbai) and
enrolled at Elphinstone College, from
where he graduated in 1858 as a
‘green scholar’. The liberal education
he received would fuel in Jamsetji
a lifelong admiration for academics
and a love of reading. Those passions
would, though, soon take a backseat
to what he quickly understood was
the true calling of his life: business.
The industrialist
An eager learner, Jamsetji gradually
grew from an apprentice to a
skilful practitioner of the business
arts under the tutelage of his
father, gaining knowledge about
commodities and markets, trading
and banking. He started his first
company — a trading firm — in 1868
at the age of 29, with a capital of
`21,000.
1839
1867
Joins his
father’s firm,
Nusserwanji
and
Kaliandas,
General
Merchants
a cotton mill. Two years later, he
sold the mill for a significant profit
to a local cotton merchant. In 1874,
Jamsetji floated a fresh enterprise,
the Central India Spinning, Weaving
and Manufacturing Company
Makes a move
into textiles
by acquiring
a bankrupt oil
mill in Bombay
and renames it
Alexandra Mill
Empress Mills
opens on
January 1
1874
1868
1859
1858
Joins
Elphinstone
College,
Bombay
Jamsetji made his move into
textiles in 1869, when he acquired a
dilapidated and bankrupt oil mill in
Chinchpokli, in the industrial heart
of Bombay, renamed the property
Alexandra Mill and converted it into
At Manchester,
Jamsetji hears
Thomas Carlyle —
‘The nation which
gains control of
iron, soon acquires
control of gold’
Graduates
as a ‘green
scholar’
1853
Jamsetji Tata in his fifties
1877
1869
Starts a private
trading firm in
Bombay, laying
the foundation
of the Tata
group
Promotes the
Central India
Spinning,
Weaving and
Manufacturing
Company in
Bombay
profile 03
a tata review publication l march 03, 2014
Limited in Bombay, with a seed
capital of `150,000. Three years
later, the Empress Mills came into
existence in Nagpur.
The period following the
establishment of Empress Mills was
the most significant of Jamsetji’s
busy life. From about 1880 to
his death in 1904, Jamsetji was
consumed by his three great ideas
for India: setting up an iron and steel
company, generating hydroelectric
power, and creating a world-class
educational institution of science.
The nationalist
Jamsetji had set his heart on building
a steel plant in India that would
compare with the best of its kind
in the world. This was a gigantic
task. The industrial revolution that
had transformed Britain and other
countries had, by and large, bypassed
India. Officious government policies,
the complexities of prospecting in
barely accessible areas and sheer bad
luck made matters worse.
Against the odds, Tata Iron and
Steel Company was established in
1907 by Jamsetji’s elder son, Dorab
Tata, and the first ingot of steel rolled
off the plant’s production line in 1912.
Jamsetji had been dead eight years by
then, but his vision continued to guide
his descendants. Tata Iron and Steel
Company was a showcase for worker
welfare schemes: employees benefited
from shorter working hours, wellventilated workplaces, and provident
fund and gratuity (long before these
practices became statutory in the
West). Today Jamsetji’s dream for
India stands as tall as Tata Steel, a
company that ranks among the top 10
steelmakers in the world.
Energy was another critical
resource which Jamsetji wanted India
to have, because, as he said, “Clean,
cheap and abundant power is one of
the basic ingredients for the economic
progress of a city, state or country.”
This was the impetus for the setting up
of India’s first power plant, a 72MW
hydroelectric station in Khopoli, near
Bombay, which was established in
1915 under Dorab Tata’s guidance.
Today Tata Power has grown into
India’s largest integrated private
power company.
In all spheres, including
philanthropy, Jamsetji’s thinking
was far ahead of his peers. At a time
when the prevailing practice among
the wealthy was to give alms to the
poor or sponsor religious activities,
his thoughts focused on how to make
India a developed nation. “What
advances a nation or community,” he
said, “is not so much to prop up its
weakest and the most helpless, as to
lift the best and most gifted, so as to
make them of the greatest service to
the country.”
He was convinced that national
resurgence was only possible through
multilevel industrialisation, higher
education and scientific research.
This motivated him to establish an
institution of advanced scientific
education and research, the like of
which even England did not have, at
the end of the 19th century.
Jamsetji donated half of his
personal wealth (14 buildings and
four landed properties in Bombay)
towards the creation of the Indian
Institute of Science in Bangalore (now
Bengaluru). This institution opened
its doors in 1911 and grew into one of
India’s premier centres for research
and advanced scientific study. Over
the years, several of India’s foremost
scientists have been closely associated
with the institute, including Nobel
laureate CV Raman, Homi J Bhabha,
Vikram S Sarabhai, and Bharat Ratna
awardee, CNR Rao.
In his efforts to bring to life these
three visionary ventures, Jamsetji had
to endure long years of heartburn,
without much tangible recompense
in his lifetime. Fortunately, he did
live to see at least one of his dreams
come to fruition. Jamsetji was keen
to set up a luxury hotel in Bombay,
one that would match the grandest of
its kind anywhere in the world. The
foundations of the Taj Mahal Hotel
were laid in 1898 and the hotel was
built at a cost of more than
1892
1887
Buys the sick
Dharamsi Mill
and renames it
Svadeshi Mills
The philanthropist
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. With
this belief, in 1892 he set up the JN
Tata Endowment, a fund that 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 1924
two out of every five Indians coming
into the elite Indian Civil Service were
Tata scholars.
Jamsetji’s vision and business
acumen would have been enough to
mark him as an extraordinary figure.
But what made him truly unique,
the quality that places him in the
pantheon of modern India’s greatest
sons, was his humaneness.
The distinctive structure the Tata
group came to adopt after Jamsetji’s
passing, with a huge part of its assets
held by trusts devoted to plowing
money into social development
initiatives, is a direct outcome of the
empathy embedded in the group
Founder’s philosophy of business.
“It is by solid work such as your
father did,” wrote a friend to Dorab
Tata, “that India will be brought up
to a higher standard of comfort and
civilisation.” Enshrined in Jamsetji’s
vision for business was the spirit of
nation-building and a commitment
to the community, and that continues
to be the guiding light for the Tata
group. n
— Gayatri Kamath
Jamsetji visits
coking processes in
Birmingham in UK
and the ore market at
Cleveland in the US.
Charles Page Perin
agrees to visit India
Forms a
company, Tata
and Sons, in
partnership with
sons Dorab Tata
and Ratan Tata
1886
`40 million. It was the first building
in Bombay to be lit by electricity, the
first to have American fans, German
elevators, Turkish baths and English
butlers. Preceding the famous
Gateway of India by some 20 years,
the hotel was the first sight for ships
calling at the Bombay port. Today
that seed sown by Jamsetji has grown
into the Taj group, a 120-property
hospitality chain with a presence
across the globe.
The Taj Mahal
Hotel opens in
Bombay, also the
first building in
the city to be lit
by electricity
1903
1902
Starts the
Endowment scheme
with a capital of `25
lakh. Freney Cama,
the first scholar, goes
to Edinburgh for
higher studies
1904
1903
CM Weld
arrives in April
to explore raw
material for the
steel plant
Jamsetji Tata
passes away at
Bad Nauheim
in Germany on
May 19
tribute
“There is no
finer legacy than
what Jamsetji
Tata has left
behind, and it is
for us to grasp
the essence
of his vision, his values, his
fortitude and his humaneness
as we strive to make our efforts
count.”
cyrus mistry
chairman, tata group
“Jamsetji set
the mandate
for the group
to look beyond
profits and
serve the
communities
in which Tata companies
functioned. More than hundred
years later, his vision remains
the group’s guiding force.”
ratan tata
former chairman
(1991 - 2012)
“The wealth
gathered by
Jamsetji Tata is
held in trust for
the people and
used exclusively
for their benefit.
The cycle is thus complete;
what came from the people has
gone back to the people many
times over.”
JRD tata
Former Chairman
(1938 - 1991)
“To my father
the acquisition
of wealth was
only a secondary
object in life;
it was always
subordinate to
the constant desire in his heart
to improve the industrial and
intellectual condition of the
people of his nation.”
Dorab Tata
Former Chairman
(1917 - 1932)
04 birthplace
a tata review publication l march 03, 2014
As a boy Jamsetji grew up in an atmosphere of
traditional piety, whose lofty ethic and elevated
conception of divine purpose for mankind left a
lasting impress on his character. Verrier Elwin
Where it
all began
Navsari, the sleepy town in Gujarat where
Jamsetji was born and spent the first 13
years of his life, remained close to his heart
and he returned to it as often as he could
N
estled in the coastal lowland
along the Purna river in
the western Indian state of
Gujarat is Navsari, the birthplace of
Jamsetji Tata, Founder of the Tata
group. It was here, in this picturesque
land of sugarcane fields, chikoo
(sapodilla) plantations and mango
trees, that one of India’s greatest
pioneers and industrialists was born,
on March 3, 1839, to Nusserwanji
and Jeevanbai Tata.
Jamsetji’s family came from a
long line of Parsi priests and they
lived in Mota Falia’s Dastur Vad,
an area where families of the Parsi
clergy generally stayed. Jamsetji and
his four younger sisters — Ratanbai,
Maneckbai, Virbai and Jerbai —
grew up in this strongly religious
environment, wholeheartedly
embracing the tenets of the
Zoroastrian faith.
Ervad (a term of address for Parsi
priests) Homi Kotwal, a 79-year-old,
has been looking after the holy fires
in the Parsi temples of Vadi-Dar-EMeher and the Navsari Atash Behram
for the last 50 years. He proudly
preserves two old books: the Athornan
Vansavali, which records the family
trees of several families from Navsari,
including the Tatas, and a register of
Navars — the first stage of initiation
into the Parsi priesthood — ordained
from 1633 to 1928. He points out
Jamsetji’s name in the register and
says that it was his great-greatgranduncle, Ervad Burjorji Kotwal,
who performed the Navar ceremony
that initiated the young Tata into
priesthood, thereby following in the
footsteps of 25 generations of the
Tata family.
Who would have imagined then
that this particular Parsi priest was
destined to one day be acknowledged
as one of the ‘nine jewels of Navsari’?
Who would have believed that he
would lay the foundations of a
business house which today has more
than 100 companies with operations
spread across the globe? It was
here, in Navsari, where the seeds of
Jamsetji’s greatness were first sown.
The Navsari of today bears little
resemblance to what it was when
Jamsetji grew up here, but he lives
on in the memories of old-timers.
Even the history of the town is
intimately interwoven with that of
the Parsi community he belonged to.
In building the qualities of head and
heart that were to stand by him both
The house in Navsari where Jamsetji Tata was born to Nusserwanji and Jeevanbai Tata
as a priest and as a businessman,
Jamsetji drew upon a rich Parsi
heritage that has moulded life in
Navsari for several hundreds of years.
the parsi influence
The Parsis, who first landed in
India in a town in Gujarat known as
Sanjan, moved to Navsari around
AD 1141 to promote their trade. The
town was known by several different
names, including Nagvardhan,
Nagshahi, Nag Mandal, Nagsarika
and, for a while, as Parsipuri (a
place where Parsis resided in
large numbers). Evidently, the
Parsi influence was instrumental
in the naming of Navsari. One
interpretation has it that the place
came to be known so because ‘Nav’
means ‘new’ and it had the same
climate as a place in Iran called ‘Sari’.
When the population of Parsis
began to increase in Navsari, the need
was felt for more priests to perform
religious ceremonies. The community
enlisted the services of a man called
Hom Bahmanyar, whose descendants
came to be known as Bhagarias,the
group to which Nusserwanji and
his family belonged. The Bhagaria
priests of Navsari were one of the five
The 850-year-old Vadi-Dar-E-Meher, where Jamsetji was ordained as a Navar, the first stage of initiation into the Parsi priesthood
groups (panths) of Parsi Zoroastrian
priests in the region, each of which
had clearly demarcated territories in
which they could perform religious
ceremonies and earn their money.
Dinshaw Edulji Wacha, a prominent
politician and a contemporary
of Jamsetji, throws light on the
environment and influences that may
have affected his industrialist friend
in his book, The Life and Life Work of
JN Tata.
According to him, there was a
keen rivalry among the priestly cadre
in Navsari and the environment
was quite acrimonious. Mr Wacha
went on to explain: “Brought up
in his boyhood in a community
possessing such traits, it is perfectly
intelligible what influence heredity
and environments must have exerted
on Jamsetji Tata, who all through his
life was preeminently distinguished
for this great force of character and
perseverance.”
Controversies aside, Navsari
was an important place for Parsis,
and their religion, culture and
society thrived here. For centuries
together, the town enjoyed the status
of being the religious headquarters
of Parsi Zoroastrians and their
priestly families. The holy fire, first
consecrated in Sanjan, was later kept
alight in Navsari for nearly 300 years.
The fire was then moved to Udvada,
where it currently resides.
The first Atash Behram — a Parsi
temple where the fire is of the ‘highest
grade’ — in India, other than the one
in Udvada, was established in Navsari
in 1765. The town’s Vadi-Dar-E-Meher
(where the Atash Dadgah, or lesser
grade of fire, is housed and mainly
used to train Parsi priests and initiate
them into the priestly ranks) is more
than 850 years old, and is the oldest
of its kind in India.
Among the other well-known
Parsis who hailed from Navsari, two
names stand out: Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy
birthplace 05
a tata review publication l march 03, 2014
philanthropic contributions of
the Tata family in Navsari
1878
One of the wells (dokhma)
in the Parsi Tower of Silence
in Navsari was erected by
Jamsetji’s father, Nusserwanji
Ratanji Darabji Tata, in memory
of his mother Cooverbai.
Homi Kotwal, whose great-greatgranduncle, Ervad Burjorji Kotwal,
initiated Jamsetji into the Parsi
priesthood, holding the register — open
to the page (inset) — which has the Tata
Founder’s name in it
(1783-1859), the first knight and
baronet of India, and Dadabhai
Naoroji (1825-1917), the first Indian
to be elected to the British Parliament.
Not much is known of the early
years and life of Jamsetji in Navsari.
In those days, formal education
was nonexistent, and the only form
of teaching was through verbal
instruction in the Zoroastrian
faith, the tenets of which had a
strong influence on Jamsetji’s life.
His mother, Jeevanbai, played a
crucial role in the development of
his character, it is said, setting a
fine example for the growing boy
and instilling in him a strong sense
of moral values. The Parsi priests
also taught him some basic reading,
writing and mathematics.
moving to bombay
Jamsetji’s formal education began at
age 13, when his father called him to
Bombay and he joined a local school.
At age 14, he gained admission to
the Elphinstone College and passed
out as a ‘green scholar’ (equivalent
of a graduate today) in 1858.
Although Jamsetji lived most of
his life outside Navsari, he always had
a soft spot for his native land. Even
during his last days, he often chatted
about his estate in Navsari. Jamsetji
was fond of horticulture and did
not hesitate to spend money on this
hobby, experimenting at his estates
in Matheran, Navsari, Ootacamund,
Panchgani and Bangalore.
In Navsari he created a miniature
botanical garden, for which Jamsetji
imported shrubs and plants from
places far and wide, including some
exotic species. According to Frank
Harris, his biographer, he also had
several wild animals here and part
of the estate was made into a public
park for others to enjoy. Today,
Tata Baug, as it is called, stands as
testimony to his love for nature.
Marzban Giara, author, publisher
and a student and researcher of Parsi
history, whose family hails from
Navsari, nostalgically remembers his
mother telling him about the ditty
that she used to sing along with her
friends when they were young: ‘Chalo
chhokra wadi jaiye / Tata seth ni
wadiye’ (come on children, let’s visit
the garden of the wealthy Tata).
Jamsetji was known for his
generosity and hospitality. A rich man
not given to display of his wealth, he
was like a benevolent patriarch and
many family members looked to him
for advice and to resolve conflicts.
Fondly called Bapooji, a pet name
given to him by one of his younger
sisters, Jamsetji’s home in Bombay,
Esplanade House, was open to all his
family members, including distant
relatives, and he enjoyed meeting
them and catching up on all the news.
‘Chalo Navsari’ was his standard
invitation to family and friends in
Bombay, and he welcomed them to
his hometown. December was usually
the month when Jamsetji went to
Navsari, and while his wife and her
companions stayed in the house built
by his father, he and the male guests
stayed at the house in the park.
Jamsetji was an early riser and
he would be seen in his garden
before 6am every day. During his
Christmas break there, ‘Navsari
week’ was celebrated in town, with
schoolchildren often putting up a gala
show and receiving prizes. Older folk
were given presents and there was
much merrymaking.
The Tata Founder loved his
country and was a great patriot, but
Navsari always remained close to
his heart. During his lifetime and
afterwards, he and other members
of his extended family gave much
to the town, by way of generous
acts of philanthropy, some of which
still remind us that the roots of the
house of Tata remain embedded in
Navsari.n
— Jai Madan
1880
The DK Tata Boys School,
founded on May 1, 1880, was
set up using the funds donated
by Sorabji Kawasji Tata from
the estate of his late brother
Dadabhai Kawasji Tata
(JRD Tata’s grandfather).
1883
The NR Tata Family Trust was the
first trust set up by Nusserwanji
(about 15 months before his
death). The trust supports the
Nusserwanji Tata Zend Madressa
and the Bai Navajbai Tata
Zoroastrian Girl’s School.
1908
Kaikhushroo Edulji Bamji
Khush-rhu building was built
by Jamsetji’s sister Ratanbai in
memory of her son. It was earlier
known as the Tata ‘hunarshala’ or
institute which gave vocational
training to the youth of Navsari.
1978
The JN Tata Memorial Centre
was inaugurated by the then
Prime Minister Morarji Desai
on March 21, 1978.
2009
The Sir Dorabji Tata Trust gave
a grant of `9 million for building
an annexe for the First Dastur
Meherjirana Library.
2011
A grant of `20 million was given
by the Navajbai Ratan Tata Trust
to the Navsari Atash Behram and
the Vadi Dar-E-Meher Trust Fund.
06 Business
a tata review publication l march 03, 2014
The MILLS
of change
By establishing and developing several
mills, Jamsetji Tata aimed to increase
India’s industrial prosperity
T
he textile mills at Nagpur
became Jamsetji’s laboratory.
He looked after every little
detail of its growth. Here he tried
experiments in technology and labour
welfare never before attempted in
India. To conserve the new company’s
capital, he purchased in Britain lowpriced equipment and, consequently,
his yarn turned out to be of inferior
quality. Quickly learning from his
mistake, he replaced it with most
up-to-date American machinery, ring
spindles, till then untried even by
mills of Lancashire.
The excellence of his new
plant was matched by his care for
the workers. He installed the first
humidifiers and fire-sprinklers
in India. In 1886, he instituted a
Pension Fund, and in 1895, began
to pay accident compensation. He
was decades ahead of his time and
miles ahead of his competitors. The
Empress Mill experiment showed that
not only profits but people mattered
to him. Emboldened by these early
successes, he decided in 1886 to
buy a mill that had proved to be the
graveyard of many reputations. At
47, Jamsetji took on the challenge
of making a ‘sick’ mill healthy. This
second unit, called ‘Svadeshi Mills’
to mark the first beginnings of the
svadeshi–national movement, was
massively supported by Indian
shareholders. But two years later the
mills failed to pay a dividend. Share
prices toppled to a fourth of the
original. The name ‘Tata’ was at stake.
Jamsetji revoked the trust, liberated
his capital, sold some Empress Mill
shares and pumped more capital into
the Svadeshi Mills. By an amazing
display of personal energy, and by
bringing the best of his staff from the
Mills at Nagpur, he pitchforked the
Svadeshi unit into the top bracket of
the textile industry.
Even as he battled for the survival
of his industry, he was not too busy to
think of the health of his workers. As
polluted water was a cause of illness,
he installed a water filtration plant
and arranged for sanitary hutments.
A grain depot was opened, followed
by a dispensary, provident fund and
pension schemes. In those early
years he also introduced a system of
apprenticeship. n
Women weaving the Founder’s dream of an industrialised India at one of the mills
In the 1880s, Jamsetji opened a creche inside the Empress Mills for young mothers
Reproduced from the book
Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata: A Chronicle
of His Life by Frank Harris, 1925
The medical dispensary (for men) at the Empress Mills. In keeping with the times,
there was a separate one for women and children
‘A MILL ON A MARSH? THAT’S A REALLY SHAKY FOUNDATION.’
Jamsetji was planning a major investment
England, which proved an expensive mistake.
buying a ready mill, on a freehold land
the mill was transformed. Jamsetji was a
in textiles. Everyone knew Bombay was the
It showed in the product as well as production
available for a sixth of its original price.
great believer in innovation. When James
only location for a textile mill. So why was
levels. Worse, a fire devastated the loom shed.
Confident of his ability to turn it around,
Brooksby, the technical expert with Empress
Jamsetji looking at Nagpur? He had reasons
The outlook was bleak. Share values dropped.
he bought it. But managing the mill proved
Mills, saw some innovative ring frames, he
aplenty. Nagpur was in the heart of the
Jamsetji created opportunity out of disaster.
to be a Herculean task. Dogged by labour
sent them back to the mill in Nagpur for trial.
cotton-growing district. Coal and water were
He rebuilt the shed and replaced equipment
shortages, beset by poor equipment,
Interestingly, in England, the frames were not
easily available. There was a ready market
making no compromise. The results were
besieged by continuous complaints, the
yet in commercial use. Jamsetji backed the
for the finished product. Land was cheap —
dramatic. Dividends went up to 16 percent.
problems never ceased. Shipments were
experiment.
for an incredibly small sum, Jamsetji was
able to buy land on a marsh. He planned
to fill the land with earth that had been
excavated for a reservoir nearby, and then
start building. People were aghast.
Perhaps Jamsetji’s most serious challenge
in the textile industry was his purchase
of the Dharamsi Mills at Kurla in Bombay.
The mill had been in liquidation for four
years, becoming a symbol of bad luck for
The mill set off to a rocky start. To cut costs,
prospective buyers but that never deterred
Jamsetji had purchased cheap machinery in
Jamsetji. He weighed the advantages of
returned. Share values plummeted. The
image of the company was at stake. Finance
wasn’t easy to come by. But Jamsetji wouldn’t
give up. He put everything he had into the
mill, staking his own personal resources. He
got new engines, new boilers, new sheds.
He invested an enormous amount of time
and money. Through sheer perseverance,
The trials were successful, the ring frames
were adopted, even before they were adopted
in the land where they were invented. Output
doubled. Share values zoomed and Jamsetji’s
reputation as an astute industrialist was
firmly established.
Source: Tata Steel Diary, 2004
Business 07
In a free enterprise, the community
is not just another stakeholder in
business, but the very purpose of its
existence. Jamsetji Tata
a tata review publication l march 03, 2014
The pioneers of
hospitality
‘don’t react
to an insult...
answer it!’
The stately carriage rolled up to one of
the leading hotels in Bombay. It was the
first carriage in the city to be fitted with
rubber tyres and its noiseless passage
drew amazed crowds every time Jamsetji
Tata drove past.
The simple, almost austerely dressed
The Taj group has played a torch-bearing
role in upholding Jamsetji’s vision. The Taj
brand continues to stand today as a Tata
symbol of excellence and quality
A
t Indian Hotels, we consider
ourselves custodians and
torchbearers of the vision
of Jamsetji Tata. The company was
founded in 1901 and the Taj Mahal
Hotel opened in Bombay (as it was
called then) on December 16, 1903.
The genesis of the company lies in
Jamsetji’s vision of a hotel that would
be a beacon for visitors to Indian
shores. Back then, when the idea of
a hotel was germinating, he visited
many of the world’s capitals and
stayed in the grandest hotels. That
was the basis on which the Taj Mahal
Hotel was created.
Because of Jamsetji’s vision, we
were pioneers in several aspects of the
hospitality business. We were the first
Indian hotel with electricity, the first
to put in electric lifts, telephones in
every room and an ice machine. We
had Bombay’s first liquor licence —
numbered 001 — for the Harbour Bar.
The Taj was essentially a state-of-theart, world-class hotel that reflected the
modern India of Jamsetji’s vision. It
continues to be so today, an icon that
symbolises the city of Mumbai. Among
our people, we have many third- and
even fourth-generation colleagues of
the Taj family. To all of us the hotel is
not just a building or a place to work,
but a representation of our pride in
the great hospitality tradition that the
Founder created.
For more than a century, the
Taj has maintained its premier
position as the centre-point of India’s
hospitality industry. Over the years,
the hotel has been a witness to many
historic events of local, national
and international importance. The
farewell speech of Lord Mountbatten,
for instance, took place in our ‘grand
ballroom’. We have what is called
the ‘princes’ room’, where the royal
princes met to discuss becoming a
part of the new India. More recently
the hotel has been the port of call
for practically every important head
of state and continues to have that
cachet in the corporate world, too.
Over the last century, our
operations have changed and guest
expectations have evolved. For
example, we were the first to bring in
Chinese cuisine, back in the 1970s.
In the new millennium, we brought
in Vietnamese cuisine through Blue
Ginger and Japanese food through
Wasabi by Morimoto.
The vision of the Founder was
crafted around the core idea of
nation-building. At Indian Hotels, we
carry forward that tradition in our
role as the leader in our segment. We
believe that building the India brand
overseas is a part of nation-building,
and in the last 10 years we have taken
our footprint beyond our shores to
key source markets, the only Indian
hotel company to do so.
Technology is a big part of the
hotel experience today, but it has to be
simple, user-friendly and unobtrusive.
I am happy to announce that in
2014 we will be the first Indian hotel
company to offer free WiFi to all our
guests at Taj Hotels, Vivanta by Taj,
Gateway and Ginger. The needs, tastes
and expectations of the ‘millennial’
generation are different and it’s a
whole new ball game to keep these
stakeholders satisfied and engaged.
We need to ensure that the Taj brand
resonates with this demographic.
What’s remarkable is that
Jamsetji would have participated
in similar conversations in 1901 as
he set out to fashion his vision for a
sustainable hospitality enterprise.
The company has been blessed
by having had his patronage. The
Chairmen of the Tata group have
always had the Taj very close to
their heart. The Taj brand continues
to stand today as a Tata symbol of
excellence and quality. n
— Raymond Bickson,
managing director,
Indian Hotels
man who stepped out was no stranger to
attention. He shunned the limelight but,
paradoxically, it followed him wherever
he went. Now he was back home in
Bombay, invited by a foreign friend to
dine at one of the city hotels. Jamsetji
walked in with his host, only to be rudely
accosted by the supercilious English
hotel manager with that ignominious
line, “We don’t allow Indians in here.”
How would you reply to an insult like this
— an insult to you, to your country, to
your countrymen? Well, if you’re Jamsetji
Tata, you choose your answer carefully.
You build one of the finest hotels in the
world, on a site facing the magnificent
ocean, select one of the world’s leading
architects and equip it with the best the
world has to offer. Jamsetji spent more
than £300,000 on the Taj Mahal hotel.
His sons and friends — everyone urged
him not to go ahead with the project. It’s
going to lose money, they insisted. But
Jamsetji was obdurate. “Perhaps it will,”
he said, “but that makes no difference”.
He wanted Indians to get what they
needed — a great hotel that would be
proud to serve them. Under Jamsetji’s
watchful eye, the Taj rose on the seafront,
an impressive edifice that dominated the
landscape, predating Bombay’s Gateway
of India.
When the Taj opened its doors in Bombay
in 1903, it inspired delight and awe in
every Indian, and not just for its imposing
exterior. To many Indians who had never
travelled abroad before, the Taj was an
incredible wonder of the modern world.
The Taj was the first building in Bombay
to be electrified. It had the first icemaking machine. The first soda maker.
The first lift. The first generator. The first
mechanised laundry. The first polishing
machine. Most important of all, it was a
hotel into which any Indian could walk
with his head held high.
One hundred years after it was opened,
the Taj has retained its position as one
of the world’s great hotels. It has spun
off an entire chain of hotels, the largest
in India, each hotel built with the same
careful attention. But more than bricks
and mortar, it’s Indian courtesy that sets
them apart.
Ultimately, as Jamsetji Tata well knew,
this is really our finest Indian heritage.
Source: Tata Steel Diary, 2004
A file picture of the Taj Mahal Hotel taken in 1903
08 photofeature
a tata review publication l march 03, 2014
2
beloved
bapooji
The adventurous Jamsetji Tata
was dearly loved and admired by
his family, which he knit together
with a bond of respect and
affection. He had an impeccable
sense of style too.
1
3
4
1. Born on March 3, 1839, in the sleepy town of Navsari in Gujarat, Jamsetji
Tata was the first child and only son of Nusserwanji Tata, the scion of a family
of Parsi priests.
2. The patriarch of the family, Jamsetji Tata with his wife Heerabai,
sons Dorab Tata (extreme left) and Ratan Tata, and his daughters-in-law.
3. Jamsetji Tata (right) and the three men who, together, formed the nucleus of the
Tata group during the patriarch’s lifetime: Elder son Dorab Tata (sitting on left),
cousin RD Tata (second from left) and younger son Ratan Tata (second from
right).
4. Different items from Jamsetji’s clothing have been preserved at the Tata Central
Archives in Pune. Showcased on the right is a set of clothes from the collection.
The many hats of Jamsetji Tata
the simple topi
the austere pagdhi
The cap or head gear is part of the established religious dress of a Parsi. In the early
days, no Parsi, man or woman, was found bare headed. The men always had a head
gear and the women had the saree draped over their heads.
In the Zoroastrian culture, it is considered a sin to move around without
slippers on the feet and without the head covered. One of the reasons could also
be to preserve the sanctity of the religion by always wearing the sudreh (a white
cotton vest), kusti (waistband) and the head gear, which is part of the religious
the royal phento
attire. Also when the hair falls off the head it is considered ‘naso’ (dead matter);
the head gear helps contain any fallen hair and maintains purity.
In the early days, there were generally three types of head gear commonly
seen in the Parsi community: the phento, the pagdhi and the topi. The topi was
mostly worn at home, while the phento and the pagdhi were generally worn on
special occasions like weddings, Navjote ceremonies or while going for social
functions and business meetings.
10 Business
a tata review publication l march 03, 2014
One of the first blast furnaces at the Tata Steel plant in Jamshedpur
The zeal
for steel
Jamsetji Tata defied naysayers, hostile
regulations and failing health to turn his
dream of a steel enterprise into reality,
and inspired generations of employees
with his monumental deeds
I
joined Tata Steel as a
management trainee in 1988,
fresh out of the Indian Institute
of Management, Calcutta. My first
posting was in Jamshedpur. From
the moment I arrived in Jamshedpur,
I knew I was in the right place. Over
the years, I came to appreciate the
feeling that comes from the value
systems and the larger purpose with
which the company operates. One is
able to sleep well at night, secure in
the knowledge that one is working
for a company that believes in giving
back to society generously. These
are the values that every Tata Steel
employee tries to live at work.
In many ways, I believe that
Tata Steel is the epitome of all the
companies belonging to the Tata
family. Tata Steel in Jamshedpur
has a flavour and aura distinct from
any other Tata company. One just
has to witness the celebrations
in Jamshedpur every year on
the Founder’s Day on March 3 to
understand just how deep the bond
is between the company and the
community, which includes not just
employees, but also the suppliers,
traders, shopkeepers and others in
the city.
At the Tata Steel archives in
Jamshedpur, one can see the plans
Jamsetji had created for the steel
company he relentlessly pursued
for years, defying naysayers, the
hostile investment environment
of colonised India, and his own
failing health. The steel venture
had become an important piece
of his vision of an industrialised,
independent India.
Although the Founder did not
live to see the steel venture take
shape, every generation of Tata Steel
management has lived his dream
each day and translated his ideals
into reality in everything they do,
never forgetting his commitment to
the community and to the nation.
Even before the steel plant
was set up in an obscure village
called Sakchi, the company set up
One is able to sleep well, secure in the
knowledge that one is working for a company
that believes in giving back to society.”
a hospital to bring much-needed
medical care to the region. That was
in 1908; the first ingot of steel rolled
out of the Sakchi plant four years
later, in 1912.
There were several industry
firsts in those early years: an eighthour working day for labourers was
introduced long before it became
the norm around the world;
free medical aid was introduced
in 1915; the maternity benefit
scheme was launched in 1928; the
retirement gratuity scheme was
introduced in 1937. These welfare
measures were meant to empower
the employees.
If I were to narrate one incident
from my 25-year career which
demonstrates the company’s
commitment to people, it would be
the board meeting a few years ago
where the then Tata Sons Chairman,
Ratan Tata, decided that the families
of contract workers suffering
accidents at Tata Steel premises
would be provided cover through
the ‘suraksha’ scheme. It is hardly
surprising then that the last workers’
strike the company settled was as far
back as 1929.
The turning point for the
company came in the late 1980s
and the early 1990s, when India’s
economic liberalisation forced
the company to revisit its business
processes. Tata Steel took the
challenge head on, emerging a more
agile entity. Over the last decade,
the company has taken to the global
stage with the same zeal that once
made it a national entity. A string of
acquisitions, starting with NatSteel
in 2004 and leading up to Corus in
2008, have seen Tata Steel take not
only itself but the larger Tata brand
to the fore in international business
circles.
Today our commitment is to be
involved in building every nation
and community that we are present
in. I can confidently assert that we
will continue to be steered by the
principles espoused by our Founder
in all our endeavours. n
— TV Narendran,
managing director, Tata Steel
‘at last, THE
MAN I’VE BEEN
LOOKING FOR.’
The door to a small, crowded office in
New York opened. At a table covered
with books sat Charles Page Perin, a
well-known geologist and metallurgist
of his time. Here was a stranger in an
even stranger garb — a man in a simple
white coat wearing a peculiar headgear.
Who was he? Even as he wondered,
Charles Perin knew the answer. This
was the person Julian Kennedy had
written to him about — the Parsi
gentleman from India whose dream
was to build a steel plant for his
country.
The two men gazed at each other
in silence. The visitor said in a deep
voice — “Are you Charles Perin?” The
metallurgist nodded. And Jamsetji
said, “At last, I have found the man I’ve
been looking for. I have spoken to
Mr Kennedy. He will build the steel
plant — wherever you advise. And I
will foot the bill. Will you come to India
with me?” Perin was dumbfounded,
struck by the character and force that
radiated from Jamsetji’s face. Perin’s
answer was short, “Yes,” he said, “I will
go with you.”
Soon Perin was to embark on one of
the most unusual adventures of his
life. On his way, at Aden, he received a
telegram asking him whether he could
ride a bicycle. Mystified, he replied in
the affirmative. He reached the village
of Sakchi, and discovered the reason
for this strange question. It was tough
going, but Perin and his team finally
found more than they even dared to
hope for — perhaps 3 billion tons of
ore, located just 45 miles away from
the railway station.
For 30 years of his life, Jamsetji had
dreamed of this. And now, when the
great moment had arrived and Perin
was getting his report together, the sad
news reached him. Jamsetji Tata had
passed away in Germany. Fortunately,
men like Perin and Jamsetji’s son,
Dorab, would ensure that his dream
lived on. Tata Steel came into being in
1907 and became one of the flagship
companies of the Tata group. Truly, a
man of steel.
Source: Tata Steel Diary 2004
Clean, cheap and abundant power is
one of the basic ingredients for the
economic progress of a city, state or
country. Jamsetji Tata
Business 11
a tata review publication l march 03, 2014
Leveraging energy
The Walwhan dam in Lonavala, Maharashtra
More than a century ago, Jamsetji Tata
pioneered an industrial breakthrough for
modern India, and for Tata Power which
has followed in his path
M
ore than a century ago,
a remarkable man had
a wonderful vision — to
provide pollution-free, clean power
to Mumbai, a city that was choking
on the fumes of the boilers of textile
mills. The visionary Jamsetji Tata
dreamed of and inspired the setting
up of one of the first hydroelectric
power plants in the Western Ghats,
with a hydel dam that would harness
the power of flowing water to create
electricity. The preliminary work
had begun, but before the new
power company could be formed,
Jamsetji passed away. His sons Dorab
and Ratan subsequently laid the
foundation for affordable and clean
power for the city of Bombay (now
Mumbai).
In the next few years, three
hydroelectric entities, Tata HydroElectric Power Supply Company
(in 1910), the Andhra Valley Power
Supply Company (in 1916) and the
Tata Power Company (in 1919),
were incorporated to give shape to
the dream. Together these three
companies were referred to as the Tata
Electric Companies. The other two
entities were amalgamated into the
Tata Power Company in the year 2000.
Tata Power’s journey over the
last 10 decades has been a fascinating
saga of pioneering initiatives and
responsible business with minimal
impact on the environment, and the
socioeconomic empowerment of the
communities that it touches.
Tata Power is India’s largest
integrated power company, with 2025 percent of its generation sourced
from clean energy sources. It has
an installed generation capacity of
8,521MW in India, with 1.8 million
customers across the country and an
effective presence in all the segments
of the power sector. The company
has to its credit the installation
of India’s first 500MW unit (in
Trombay, near Mumbai), the first
150MW pumped storage unit (in
Bhira, Maharashtra), the first flue
gas de-sulphurisation facility for
pollution control at a power plant
(also at Trombay) and the first and
most celebrated islanding system
(to ensure uninterrupted power
supply to Mumbai). Tata Power was
the first to establish state-of-theart technology and infotech-based
systems for distribution in Delhi and
to bring in India’s first 800MW supercritical unit for its power project in
Mundra, Gujarat.
The company has successful
public-private partnerships in
generation, transmission and
distribution and is one of the largest
renewable energy players in India. It
has also implemented the country’s
first 4,000MW ultra mega power
project (in Mundra, Gujarat).
Tata Power’s international
presence includes strategic
investments in Indonesia through a
geothermal project and a 30-percent
stake in four coal mines; in Singapore,
through Trust Energy Resources, for
the supply and shipping of coal for
thermal power generation operations;
in Africa, through the joint venture
Cennergi, to develop projects in South
Africa, Botswana and Namibia; in
Australia through investments in
enhanced geothermal and clean coal
technologies, and in Bhutan through a
hydro project in partnership with the
Government of Bhutan.
Over the last several decades,
the company has participated in an
extensive eco-restoration and ecodevelopment programme in the
Western Ghats, which is one of the
most sensitive ecosystems in the
world. More than 7 million saplings
of 60 tree species have been planted
and flora and fauna in and around
our lakes have been restored. Around
600,000 trees have been planted as a
reforestation measure. In the process,
a large variety of wildlife has found a
habitat in the area.
The lakes have been part of a
rehabilitation programme for the
endangered fish species called Deccan
Mahseer. Tata Power provides millions
of seedlings of this fish to agencies
across India. The company has also
pioneered initiatives to increase public
awareness about energy conservation
and climate change. The Tata Power
Club Enerji addresses these issues in
an interactive manner at the school
level whereby it sensitises youngsters
and equips them to become energy
champions.
Continuing its focus on corporate
social responsibility, the company
has conducted a number of training
programmes for developing selfemployment opportunities among
the rural population. Rooted in
a century-old dream, Tata Power
continues to be a testament to
Jamsetji’s vision and commitment to
India’s progress, a vision that rests on
the tenets of sustainability. n
— Anil Sardana,
managing director, TATA Power
‘Let’s go on a picnic...’
Grey skies, torrential rain, flooding — yes,
it had been a typical Bombay monsoon.
But now the skies had cleared, the sun
was out, the sea was calmer. “Let’s go out
on a picnic tomorrow,” said Jamsetji to his
good friend, Nusserwanji Guzdar. Jamsetji
regaled him with stories of his travels.
They stood for a while with the wind
blowing through their hair. Jamsetji loved
this coastline. Bombay. This was the city
he loved. He had come here as a boy of
14 and it had really opened its arms to
him. Suddenly he asked the pilot to take
them to Roha creek. The launch sputtered
and sighed as the pilot changed course
and obeyed. The conversation carried on.
Jamsetji stopped mid-sentence. His friend
looked in the direction of his gaze. This was
the Roha River.
The monsoon was just over. The river
was swollen with water. The water gushed
tumultuously. The banks were green.
The earth was fresh. Everyone came
around to marvel at the picturesque sight.
Jamsetji’s mind had already raced ahead
of the pretty picture. “Nusserwanji” he said,
“We must harness this water. We must turn
it into power.”
There was a shocked silence. Everyone
knew that power was an electrifying
concept. But power needed a waterfall.
And while there was water aplenty here,
this was a river. How could this water be
harnessed? Jamsetji’s mind was already
working on the answer. Bombay would
have a power plant. He would find a way.
Source: Tata Steel Diary, 2004
12 education
a tata review publication l march 03, 2014
A gift for life
One of the first educational scholarships in the world, the JN Tata
Endowment has helped smooth the path for several meritorious
Indians during a critical period of their academic lives
tata
scholars
“The Endowment
invests a lot of
time, energy
and resources
in its selection
process. Once
you get the scholarship, it is an
endorsement that opens many
doors.”
rashneh pardiwala
environmentalist
One hundred and twenty years after its inception, the JN Tata Endowment is still going strong, enhancing the lives of scholars
H
e travelled the world but
India and her welfare
always remained the core
of Jamsetji Tata’s vision. This was
the motivation that inspired the
establishment, in 1892, of the JN Tata
Endowment for the higher education
of Indians, on the strength of a trust
fund of `2.5 million.
Jamsetji wanted to enable young,
meritorious Indians to pursue higher
studies at the best universities in the
world. In pre-independence days,
placements in key services such as the
Indian Civil Service (ICS), the Indian
Educational Service and the Indian
Medical Service were dominated by
British citizens. Jamsetji realised that
it was the unavailability of funding,
not the lack of talent, that prevented
Indians from assuming an active role
in the administration of the nation.
The endowment that he set
up enabled Indians to pursue
professional courses. He would say,
“What advances a nation or the
community is not so much to prop
up its weakest and most helpless
members, as to lift up the best and
most gifted so as to make them of the
greatest service to the country.”
The first beneficiary of the
largesse was a woman, Freney K
Cama, who went to Edinburgh and
Dublin in 1892 to study gynaecology
and midwifery. More than 120 years
later, the Endowment is still going
strong, having enhanced the lives of
more than 4,585 scholars. The list of
illustrious names includes Ardeshir
Dalal, member of the British viceroy’s
executive council; KR Narayanan,
the former President of India; Raja
Ramanna, director, Bhabha Atomic
Research Centre; Jayant Narlikar,
renowned astrophysicist; JJ Irani,
former director, Tata Sons; and Rahul
Mehrotra, the renowned architect.
Nawaz Mody, advisor, JN Tata
Endowment, is happy to play her
part in building the future of talented
youngsters. The goal is to advance
loan scholarships to meritorious
Indians, regardless of caste, creed,
and financial status, for higher
studies. The list of subjects has been
updated over the years to include
more than 200 disciplines.
Dr Mody says, “On an average,
we get more than 2,000 applications
from around the country each year,
and we sift through them to find
around 120 deserving candidates.”
Candidates go through a stringent
selection process. Students have to be
able to justify why they have chosen
that particular course and institute.
Once they are shortlisted, an expert
from the respective field of interest
interviews them to gauge their
We get more than 2,000 applications
each year, and we sift through them to find
around 120 deserving candidates.”
Nawaz Mody, advisor, JN Tata Endowment
ability. The advisor herself sits in on
all the interviews.
The selected scholars receive a
loan scholarship of up to `400,000,
which they must repay in seven years.
The scholarships are given as loans,
not grants, because Jamsetji believed
this could instill valuable lessons in
self-reliance. The idea is to make the
students feel a sense of responsibility
and accountability towards their
education. The repayment of every loan
helps ensure that another deserving
candidate is able to study abroad.
As part of their efforts to assist
students, many of whom may be
undertaking their first trip abroad,
the Endowment introduced
orientation sessions a few years ago.
These sessions guide the scholars on
cross-cultures and value systems, and
on giving back to the country.
“The orientation programme
makes a lot of difference,” says
Dr Mody. “Repayments have gone
up as a result. People are now paying
back their loans within two years.”
Dr Mody also feels heartened by the
steady increase in the number of
students returning to India. “I have
seen a rise of almost 20 percent,” she
says. “A large number of these people
are returning voluntarily.”
The Endowment continues to
reinvent itself. It understands the
significance of the task it performs,
and how the act of committing to an
individual’s future often enhances
the fate of a nation and the world.
The Founder would have been
pleased. n
— Cynthia Rodrigues
“A higher study
programme
abroad gives
you a breadth of
exposure. The JN
Tata Endowment
scholarship programme was a
significant catalyst in shifting
me into a new league of the
cinema workforce in India.”
nishant radhakrishnan
filmmaker
“Without the
Endowment,
I could not
have realised
my dreams
of securing a
higher education. The initial
support from the Endowment
was the most significant.”
dr vikram raut
liver surgeon
“The Tatas were
rigorous in
selecting their
scholars. There
was prestige
attached to
receiving a Tata scholarship. It
played a crucial part in shaping
my personal life and influencing
my professional career.”
kr narayanan
former president of india
“Such loan
scholarships
were extremely
helpful in those
days. Middleclass students
found it difficult to study
abroad at that time. The JN Tata
scholarship was the answer.”
raja ramanna
nuclear physicist
education 13
a tata review publication l march 03, 2014
A fresh impulse
to LEARNING
The Indian Institute of Science was born
out of the vision of a heroic leader
W
riting to Lord Reay on
November 17, 1896,
Jamsetji told the
Governor of Bombay that ‘no more…
fruitful results can be provided than
(by) a national system of education’.
In September 1898, Jamsetji
announced an offer that was to
astonish men of his day. He decided
to set aside 14 of his buildings and
four landed properties in Bombay
(now Mumbai) for an endowment to
establish a university of science.
The proposal of Jamsetji was
presented to the new Viceroy, Lord
Curzon, in 1898, the day after
his arrival in India. Curzon was
lukewarm, and had two major doubts
about the scheme. The first was
whether qualified Indians would
be forthcoming for such advanced
scientific training. Secondly,
whether there would be employment
opportunities for them in a country
that had no industries worth the
name. To report on Jamsetji’s
scheme, the Secretary of State for
India requested the Royal Society
of England to send out an eminent
scientist. They selected Professor
William Ramsay, the discoverer of
rare gases (including helium and
neon), who was later to be awarded
the Nobel Prize. After a quick tour
of the country Ramsay reported that
Bangalore (now Bengaluru) was a
suitable site for such an institution.
Ramsay also recommended liberal
scholarships of `40 to `50 per month.
Meanwhile, Curzon was writing
to the Secretary of State for India,
Lord Hamilton, on June 26, 1901:
“We are endeavouring to save Tata’s
scheme from the shipwreck, and
asking the Committee (ClibbornMasson’s) to consider and submit
a scheme under which the annual
expenditure will be limited to
£10,000 of which £2,000 will be
provided annually by the Government
of India for 10 years.” Jamsetji’s
endowment alone provided £8,000
(`1,25,000) a year. He had hoped
‘that Corporations, the Native Chiefs,
Sirdars’ will gradually see their way to
bountifully help such an Institution.
The Maharaja of Mysore did come
forward with a generous offer of
371 acres of land in Bangalore for
the Institute, a gift of `5 lakhs for
construction and a recurring grant of
`50,000 a year. But no other source of
revenue came forward.
The canvas that Jamsetji was
working on was too vast for his
contemporaries to fathom, far less
to accept. Attacked by some coreligionists, denied cooperation from
those he inducted into his business,
confronted with an arrogant Viceroy
who could not understand the
greatness of the giver or of his gift,
any other man than Jamsetji would
have withdrawn the offer. In fact the
British reckoned that he would. But
Jamsetji was not easily deflected from
the accomplishment of his purpose.
While the scheme was still
being considered and a provisional
committee was looking into it, Jamsetji
died. The following year, 1905, when
Lord Curzon was on leave in Bexhill,
he finally gave the green light to Dorab
Tata, by agreeing that the Government
would meet half the cost. n
IISc: factfile
nAfter a long wait of more than
a decade, the Indian Institute
of Science (IISc) was finally
established in the year 1911.
nBy the time the institute broke
ground, Jamsetji Tata had passed
away and the initiative was being
driven by his sons.
nAt its inception, the institute
was run jointly by the Tatas, the
Government of India and the
Government of Mysore (now
Karnataka), marking the first
example of a public-private
partnership in the country.
nThe Institute of Science was
earlier named the Imperial
University of India.
nMorris Travers was chosen as the
first director of the Institute.
nThe industrial genius
M Visvesvaraya was closely
associated with the management
of the institute for three decades.
nIt was here that Homi Bhabha
visualised the Tata Institute of
Fundamental Research (TIFR).
nThe institute enabled scientist
CV Raman (the institute’s first
Indian director who also initiated
the Physics department in 1933)
to undertake research in light
scattering, which eventually won
him the Nobel Prize in 1930.
nOver the last century, IISc has
grown into a premier institution
of research and advanced
instruction, with more than 2,000
active researchers working in
almost all the frontier areas of
science and technology.
nThe institute has also manned
prestigious and nationally
important missions and
projects in the field of science.
Source: The Creation of Wealth by RM Lala
published in 1981
‘No idea more potent for good to the whole nation has seen the
light of day in modern India.’
“We are not aware if any project at once
If India is to live and prosper and if there
must go to the wall, degenerate and reach
whole country find the rest? It is ridiculous
so opportune and so far-reaching in its
is to be an Indian nation which will have
extinction. There is no escape. Mr Tata’s
to think otherwise, when the interest
beneficent effects was ever mooted in
its place in the ranks of the great nations
scheme paves the path placing into the
sought to be served is of the paramount
India, as that of the post-graduate research
of the world, the food question must be
hands of Indians this knowledge of nature
importance.
university of Mr Tata. The scheme grasps
solved first of all. And in these days of keen
— the preserver and the destroyer, the
the vital point of weakness in our national
competition it can only be solved by letting
ideal good servant as well as the ideal bad
well-being with a clearness of vision and
the light of modern science penetrate
master — that by having the knowledge,
tightness of grip, the masterliness of which
every pore of the two giant feeders of
they might have power over her and be
is only equalled by the munificence of the
mankind: agriculture and commerce.
successful in the struggle for existence.
gift with which it is ushered to the public.
It is needless to go into the details of
Mr Tata’s scheme here. Every one of our
The ancient methods of doing things
We repeat: No idea more potent for
good to the whole nation has seen the
light of day in modern India. Let the whole
nation therefore, forgetful of class or sect
interests, join in making it a success.
By some the scheme is regarded
can no longer hold their own against the
as chimerical, because of the immense
daily multiplying cunning devices of the
amount of money required for it, to wit
The letter written by Swami Vivekananda in
readers must have read Mr Padsha’s lucid
modern man. He that will not exercise his
about 74 lacs. The best reply to this fear
April I899 in Prabuddha Bharata, a monthly
exposition of them. We shall try to simply
brain, to get out the most from nature, by
is: If one man — and he not the richest in
magazine started by him in 1896
state here the underlying principle of it.
the lease possible expenditure of energy
the land — could find 30 lacs, could not the
Source: Tata Central Archives
14 minor businesses
a tata review publication l march 03, 2014
Tatas represent the spirit of
adventure. Mahatma Gandhi
Other experiments
Apart from Jamsetji Tata’s major undertakings, he had numerous minor interests, all
driven by the spirit of patriotism, to bring the best to his country
Ship building
M
r Tata had long been
disturbed by the high
freightage charged by
the steamship companies for the
carriage of cotton goods, yarn and
other goods. His active mind was
considering the possibility of making
India her own carrier to the Far East,
for the cost of carriage, due to lack
of competition, made considerable
inroads upon the profits of the
Indian mills, and though Mr Tata was
mindful of his own interests, he saw
the benefits which would accrue to
India if she developed a mercantile
marine.
While in Tokyo he saw the
Directors of the Nippon Yusen Kaisha
line, who were ready to compete in
the China trade, provided Mr Tata
was prepared to take an equal risk,
and run steamers of his own. He
signed an agreement with the NYK for
the carriage of Indian cotton goods at
cheaper rates.
After leaving Japan, Mr Tata
travelled first to Canada, and
thence to America, where he visited
the Chicago exhibition. He then
proceeded to England. As soon as
he arrived in London he chartered
an English vessel, the Annie Barrow,
at the rate of £1,050 a month. He
decided to build up a line of his own,
and began to work with great spirit,
and with hopes which were unhappily
frustrated. ‘I suggest that it be called
the Tata Line,’ he wrote to his sons, ‘so
that it may serve as an incentive to our
family to make it a permanent one, as
far as it may be in our power. n
contemplated, as he said, with great
anxiety. He saw, too, that the ‘infant
prodigy, Japan’, was becoming a serious
competitor in the China market, while
Germany, Austria, and Belgium, as well
as England, were flooding India with
their manufactured goods.
His remedy was the cultivation of
Egyptian cotton. For the higher class
of goods, the use of exotic cottons
was necessary. ‘If India,’ argued
Mr Tata, ‘were enabled to grow for
itself the long-stapled varieties, she
would derive immense benefit in
three different directions: such an
expansion would assist agriculture,
conserve the money of the country
and improve the exchange. Of
course,’ he added, ‘all this is not to
be attained in a year or even half a
dozen years; but if the cultivation of
Egyptian cotton proves at all feasible,
it may be the means of solving one
of the greatest problems of the
generation.’ n
Outside Bombay the fruit was
grown in fair quantities, but
only for the local market. There
was, however, no export trade,
and in 1899 Mr Tata made a few
inquiries as to the possibilities of
its development. For several years
he had been accustomed to send
small consignments of the fruit to
his friend Sir George Birdwood. The
success of his own consignments had
encouraged Mr Tata in the idea that
a new and profitable trade might be
established between Bombay and
London. For many years the P. and
O. had experimented in tentative
fashion upon the best methods
of carrying the mango. Finding
that the results of the experiments
were unsatisfactory, and the cost
somewhat heavy, Mr Tata put aside
the venture as unprofitable both to
his country and his farm. At the same
time that he was investigating the
mango trade, Mr Tata had in hand
his project for installing cold storage
in Bombay. He bought an ice-house
from an American Company, to be
used for the preservation of fish, fruit
and meat but his project failed for
lack of public support.
He was ahead of his times;
another 20 years were to elapse
before Crawford market (a wholesale
fruit and vegetable market in
Mumbai) was equipped with
adequate refrigerators and cold
storage. n
Egyptian cotton
A
less successful venture
which Mr Tata made was
an attempt to encourage
the growth of Egyptian cotton in
India. It seemed to Mr Tata that
the Government had by no means
exhausted the possibilities of
cotton cultivation, and as he said,
‘any experiments that have been
tried have not been under suitable
conditions’. He made this assertion in
a memorandum which he published
in 1896, and republished in 1903
upon the growth of Egyptian cotton
in his country.
He reviewed the state of the
cotton industry in India, which he
Mango trade
and cold storage
O
n their estate at Navsari,
both Jamsetji Tata and his
father had cultivated the
mango on a considerable scale.
Sericulture
D
uring his travels in France
and Italy, Jamsetji had, with
his usual ardour, studied and
seen something of the cultivation
of the silkworm. He regarded it as
suited to the conditions in India, for it
was a cottage industry, well adapted
to a small district. His visit to Japan
in 1893 convinced him that scientific
sericulture on Japanese lines could
be extended to his own country.
Mr Tata was convinced that the
introduction of a trade in which the
Japanese excelled would be of direct
benefit to his own countrymen.
On his return to India, he selected
for his silk farm, a site in Mysore, a
state which, through the influence of
the Dewan, Sir Sheshadri Iyer, always
lent a ready ear to his schemes. The
temperate climate around Bangalore,
somewhat resembling that of Japan,
was especially adapted to the
rearing of the silkworm, of which a
healthy variety was indigenous to
the neighbourhood, and could be
cultivated and improved.
As early as the time of Tippoo
Sultan there had been a flourishing
silk trade in Mysore, and it was still
carried on in several villages around
the capital. Mysore silk was well
known, and had often been exported
to Europe.
Encouraged by the Mysore
Government, Mr Tata, after buying
the necessary ground, endowed
and subsidised a small farm where
Indians were enabled to study
the growth of the mulberry tree,
the rearing of the silkworm, the
treatment of the diseases which
affected it, the care of the cocoon,
the reeling of the silk, and its proper
preparation for the market. n
Source: Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata: A Chronicle of his Life, by Frank Harris, 1925
the other side 15
a tata review publication l march 03, 2014
de House
om Esplana
fr
d
e
lk
a
w
r
hite
n, o
e and snow-w
ugh the tow
c
ro
fa
th
ly
e
d
v
in
ro
k
d
As he
, with his
re a
ings, Mr Tata
a rule, he wo
d
s
il
A
u
.
B
re
a
u
ri
g
fi
to
to Vic
r the
icturesque
ee turban, o
miliar and p
rs
a
fa
P
a
e
s
a
th
w
,
,
d
a
rd
bea
. To those
d, on his he
to lay aside
costume an
e
im
it
h
h
e
w
d
a
le
p
rb
sim
hodoxy fo
yed was in
ealth displa
ap, which ort
w
-c
f
ll
o
u
n
k
s
ig
s
ll
a
ly
sm
ts, the on
t pride in
in the stree
he took grea
r
im
h
fo
,
w
e
a
g
s
ia
o
rr
h
a
w
t of his c
appointmen
the perfect
ipment.
nd their equ
his horses a
Jamsetji Tata’s
social life was
spent mainly at
the Elphinstone
Club, where he
often entertained
some well-known
traveler to talk
over the world’s
affairs, and at the
Sunday dinner
he chatted about
the doings of
the community
with his fellow
Parsees.
the
a was
t
a
T
r
For M
e of
l figur
ll
centra
ions, a
t
a
r
e
n
e
three g
to
looked
m
o
h
w
or
of
stance
i
s
s
a
r
was
him fo
father
s
i
H
.
e
iend;
advic
nd a fr
a
r
e
n
t
a par
him
ere to
w
s
n
o
his s
hole
. The w
e
m
a
s
the
d him
egarde
r
y
l
i
m
fa
n and
neratio
e
v
h
t
i
w
ction.
at affe
e
r
g
a
with
His favourite hours were those
spent at home among his books…
His favourite authors were Dickens
and Thackeray, in whom he found
a constant source of recreation; he
also delighted in the broad humour of
Mark Twain and the vigorous stories
of Bret Harte. The cadences of poetry
pleased his ear.
Lighter
moments
Jamsetji Tata was a pioneer and a world
traveller, but his favourite moments were
those spent with friends or books
to
re timed, as a rule,
Mr Tata’s travels we
ere
great exhibition, wh
coincide with some
rge and small, with
he saw inventions, la
ed.
s wholly unacquaint
which his country wa
s device. Though
He loved an ingeniou
usic, he bought an
he cared little for m
s home. When the
electric piano for hi
d
appeared, he acquire
cinematograph first
a born pioneer. His
one at once. He was
e, not so much for
purchases were mad
new
dia know what was
himself, as to let In
ross the seas.
in the great world ac
Source: Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata: A Chronicle of his Life, by Frank Harris, 1925
16 Obituaries
a tata review publication l march 03, 2014
The Tata family mausoleum at
Brookwood Cemetery in the United Kingdom
where Jamsetji Tata lies buried
an irreparable loss
It is with deep regret that we
have to announce the death, which
took place at Nauheim near Vienna
in Austria, of Mr Jamsetji
Nusserwanji Tata, the well-known
millionaire and mill-owner of
Bombay. Mr Tata was the pioneer
of the mill industry in the Central
Provinces, and the Empress Mills at
Nagpur is a standing monument of
his labours in this direction.
The late Mr Tata was more
or less a self-made man and his
eminently successful career
furnishes an inspiring example of
what perseverance, tireless industry
and a determination, not daunted
even in the face of difficulties and
disappointments, can accomplish.
The loss of such a good and great
man cannot but be felt as an
irreparable loss to the country.
— The Nagpur Times (May 21, 1904)
Empire, and his loss will be felt far
beyond the limits of the Bombay
Presidency. I particularly grieve
that Mr Tata has not lived to see
the establishment of the Research
Institute, the conception of which
has made his generosity and public
spirit so renowned.”
— Lord Lamington, the then
Viceroy of India
My mother and I have heard
with much sorrow and deep
concern of the death of Mr Tata,
one of India’s greatest citizens. We
consider it a national calamity and
are assured that Mysore, so
intimately connected with his great
Scheme of the Research Institute,
mourns for it. We sincerely
sympathise with you and the rest of
family in your great bereavement
which we as well deeply regret.”
achievements, has raised the ledger
to the dignity of an Unpanished, Mr
Tata exhibited from his earlier years
a remarkable genius of business.
Grand were his schemes,
and given the time to complete, as
successful as they were grand. They
penetrated the domains not only of
weaving and silk rearing, but also of
navigation and house-building, of
mineralogy and botany.
Mr Tata, however, was not
merely a businessman: he was a
trustee for the nation. Money and
more money was to be the road to
knowledge and more knowledge
which would make the East as
opulent as the West.
If, from the domestic
standpoint, there is something
sad in the reflection that he did not
spend his last days in Bombay there
is, another standpoint, something
appropriate, in the occurrence of his
death in Germany.
quality of his. He did not merely
carry on trade as a middleman like
others. He was always absorbed in
thoughts as to why there were more
imports of foreign goods from year
to year, he was anxious to find out
whether some of the imported
goods could be manufactured
efficiently in this country and if there
were any obstacles in the way, how
they could be removed. Over and
above all this, he was prepared to
spend from his own private purse
for removing such obstacles.
Had he been born in some
western country he would have
wrought an industrial revolution but
our misfortune is that his talents, his
efforts, his genius, were only very
partially utilised for the benefit of
this country.”
— Extract from an obituary written by
Lokmanya Tilak (Kesari, May 24, 1904)
— Lord Alfred Tennyson
I have heard with deep
concern of the death of Mr Tata and
although I never had the pleasure
or advantage of his acquaintance, I
hope that you and his family will
accept my sincere sympathy and
condolences. No Indian of the
present generation has done more
for the commerce and industry of
India than Mr Tata, and few, I
believe, have exercised a more
generous and widespread
philanthropy.
Mr Tata was truly of one the
greatest of the Indian citizens of the
Edited and created by
— The Maharaja of Mysore
Death has snatched away
from among us an industrial hero,
well known all over India and
not unknown in Europe and
America. There are many cotton
mills in India, but there was only one
Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata. There is
one Taj Mahal Hotel,
and may there be at least one
Research Institute. Belonging to
a community which, among other
There are a good many
people in Bombay who have
amassed fortunes by their import
and export trade by pocketing only
the middlemen’s profit. But among
them, men are rare who think in
terms of their country’s interests.
The late Mr Jamsetji Tata did
possess all the qualities of such
merchant princes but what entitles
him to the country’s everlasting
gratitude was one extraordinary
My hearty sympathy with
you and your family in your great
bereavement. India loses in
Mr Tata one of her greatest sons,
whose services in the cause of
industrial development and in
the spread of scientific education
the country will always gratefully
remember.”
— The Chief of Miraj
Source: Tata Central Archives, The Hindu
Archives and the Times of India Archives
, Group Corporate Communications, in association with The Information Company l Email: [email protected] l Website: www.tata.com
Editor: Christabelle Noronha l Assistant editor: Sujata Agrawal l Editorial team: Anjali Mathur, Cynthia Rodrigues, Gayatri Kamath, Jai Madan, Philip Chacko, Sangeeta Menon, Shilpa Sachdev, Shubha Madhukar
Design: Abraham K John, Shilpa Naresh l Production: Mukund Moghe l Printed at: Sahaya Print Services
disclaimer: All matter in this publication is copyrighted. Material published in it can be reproduced with permission. To know more, please email the editor.