JRD TATA BIOGRAPHY

Born: July 29, 1904 Died: on November 29, 1993 Achievements: He had the honor of being India's first pilot; was Chairman of Tata & Sons for 50 years; launched Air India International as India's first international airline; receivedBharat Ratnain 1992. JRD Tata was one of the most enterprising Indian entrepreneurs. He was a pioneer aviator and built one of the largest industrial houses of India. JRD Tata was born on July 29, 1904 in Paris. His mother was a French, while his father was Parsi. JRD's full name was Jehangir Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata and he was popularly known as Jeh to his friends. JRD's father Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata and Sri Jamsetji Tata shared their greatness from the same great-great-grandfather, Ervad Jamsheed Tata, a priest of Navsari. JRD Tata was the second of four children. He was educated in France, Japan and England before being drafted into the French army for a mandatory one-year period. JRD wanted to extend his service in the forces but destiny had something else in store for him. By leaving the French army JRD's life was saved because shortly thereafter, the regiment in which he served was totally wiped out during an expedition in Morocco. JRD Tata joined Tata & Sons as an unpaid apprentice in 1925. He has great interest in flying. On February 10, 1929, JRD became the first Indian to pass the pilot's examination. With this distinctive honor of being India's first pilot, he was instrumental in giving wings to India by building Tata Airlines, which ultimately became Air India. His passion for flying was fulfilled with the formation of the Tata Aviation Service in 1932. In 1938, at the age of 34, JRD was elected Chairman of Tata & Sons making him the head of the largest industrial group in India. He started with 14 enterprises under his leadership and half a century later on July 26, 1988, when he left , Tata & Sons was a conglomerate of 95 enterprises which they either started or in which they had controlling interest. JRD was the trustee of Sir Dorabji Tata Trust from its inception in 1932, which remained under his wings for over half a century. Under his guidance, this Trust established Asia's first cancer hospital, the Tata Memorial Center for Cancer, Research and Treatment, Bombay, 1941. It also founded the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, 1936

(TISS), the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, 1945 (TIFR), and the National Center for Performing Arts. In 1948, JRD Tata launched Air India International as India's first international airline. In 1953, the Indian Government appointed JRD as Chairman of Air-India and a director on the Board of Indian Airlines-a position JRD retained for 25-years. For his crowning achievements in Aviation, JRD was bestowed with the title of Honorary Air Commodore of India. In 1956, JRD Tata initiated a program of closer "employee association with management" to give workers a stronger voice in the affairs of the company. He firmly believed in employee welfare and espoused the principles of an eight-hour working day, free medical aid, workers' provident scheme, and workmen's accident compensation schemes, which were later, adopted as statutory requirements in India. JRD Tata cared greatly for his workers. In 1979, Tata Steel instituted a new practice; a worker is deemed to be "at work" from the moment he leaves home for work till he returns home from work. The company is financially liable to the worker if any mishap takes place on the way to and from work. Tata Steel Township was also selected as a UN Global Compact City because of the quality of life, conditions of sanitation, roads and welfare that were offered by Tata Steel. JRD Tata received a number of awards. He received the Padma Vibhushan in 1957 on the eve of silver jubilee of Air India. He also received the Guggenheim Medal for aviation in 1988. In 1992, because of his selfless humanitarian endeavors, JRD Tata was awarded India's highest civilian honor, the Bharat Ratna-one of the rarest instances in which this award was granted during a person's lifetime. In the same year, JRD Tata was also bestowed with the United Nations Population Award for his crusading endeavors towards initiating and successfully implementing the family planning movement in India, much before it became an official government policy. JRD Tata died in Geneva, Switzerland on November 29, 1993 at the age of 89. On his death, the Indian Parliament was adjourned in his memory-an honor not usually given to persons who are not Members of Parliament. Awards and recognition He was awarded the Legion d'honneur, by the French Government in 1954. In 1979, Tata was the recipient of the Tony Jannus Award for his distinguished contributions to commercial aviation. He also received the prestigious Guggenheim Medal for aviation in 1988. He was conferred India's highest civilian award Bharat Ratna in 1992 for his

service to industry and nation building. In the same year, he was also bestowed with the United Nations Population Award for his crusading endeavors towards initiating and successfully implementing the family planning movement in India, much before it became an official government policy.

FOUNDATION 1868 1931

1868 Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata starts a private trading firm, laying the foundation of the Tata group.

1874 The Central India Spinning, Weaving and Manufacturing Company is set up, marking the group's entry into textiles and its first large-scale industrial venture.

1902 The Indian Hotels Company is incorporated to set up the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower, India's first luxury hotel, which opened in 1903.

1907

The Tata Iron and Steel Company (now Tata Steel) is established to set up India's first iron and steel plant in Jamshedpur. The plant started production in 1912. Sets up its first office overseas, Tata Limited in London.

1910 The first of the three Tata Electric Companies, The Tata Hydro-Electric Power Supply Company is set up. The second, Andhra Valley Power Supply Company was established in 1917 and Tata Power in 1919. The first two companies were merged with Tata Power in 2000 to form a single entity.

1911 The Indian Institute of Science as a centre for advanced learning. is established in Bangalore to serve

1912 Tata Steel introduces eight-hour working days, well before such a system was implemented by law in much of the West.

1917 The Tatas enter the consumer goods industry, with the Tata Oil Mills Company being established to make soaps, detergents and cooking oils. The company was sold to Hindustan Lever (now Unilever) in 1984.

CONSOLIDATION 1932 1989

1932 Tata Airlines, a division of Tata Sons, is established, opening up the aviation sector in India. Air India was nationalised in 1953.

1939 Tata Chemicals, now the largest producer of soda ash in the country, is established.

1945 Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company (renamed Tata Motors in 2003) is established to manufacture locomotive and engineering products. Tata Industries is created for the promotion and development of hi-tech industries.

1952 Jawaharlal Nehru, India's first Prime Minister, requests the group to manufacture cosmetics in India, leading to the setting up of Lakme. The company was sold to Hindustan Lever (now Unilever) in 1997.

1954

India's major marketing, engineering and manufacturing organisation, Voltas, is established.

1962 Tata Finlay (now Tata Tea), one of the largest tea producers, is established. Tata Exports is established. Today the company, renamed Tata International, is one of the leading export houses in India. 1968 Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), India's first software services company, is established as a division of Tata Sons. 1971 Tata Precision Industries, the first Tata company in Singapore, is founded to design and manufacture precision engineering products. 1984 The first 500 MW thermal power unit at the Trombay station of the Tata Electric Companies is commissioned.

EXPANSION 1990 ONWARDS

1995 Tata Quality Management Services institutes the JRD QV Award, modelled on the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Value Award of the United States, laying the foundation of the Tata Business Excellence Model.

1996 Tata Teleservices (TTSL) is established to spearhead the group's foray into the telecom sector.

1998 Tata Indica India's first indigenously designed and manufactured car is launched by Tata Motors, spearheading the group's entry into the passenger car segment.

1999 The new Tata group corporate mark and logo are launched.

2000 Tata Tea acquires the Tetley group, UK. This is the first major acquisition of an international brand by an Indian business group.

2001 Tata AIG a joint venture between the Tata group and American International Group Inc (AIG) marks the Tata re-entry into insurance. (The group's insurance

company, New India Assurance, set up in 1919, was nationalised in 1956).

2002 Tata Sons acquires a controlling stake in VSNL (renamed Tata Communications in 2008), India's leading international telecommunications service provider. Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) becomes the first Indian software company to cross one billion dollars in revenues. Titan launches Edge, the slimmest watch in the world.

2004 Tata Motors is listed on the world's largest bourse, the New York Stock Exchange, the second group company to do so after VSNL. Tata Motors acquires the heavy vehicles unit of Daewoo Motors, South Korea. TCS goes public in July 2004 in the largest private sector initial public offering (IPO) in the Indian market, raising nearly $1.2 billlion.

2005 Tata Steel acquires Singapore-based steel company NatSteel by subscribing to 100 per cent equity of its subsidiary, NatSteel Asia. VSNL (now Tata Communications) acquired Tyco Global Network, making it one of the world's largest providers of submarine cable bandwidth. Tata Sons completes 60 years of Tata operations in the US. The Taj acquires a hotel run by Starwood, Sydney (renamed Blue) and takes over

management of The Pierre, NY.

2006 Tata Sky satellite television service launched across the country. Foundation stone for the Tata Medical Centre unveiled in Kolkata.

2007 Tata Steel acquires the Ango-Dutch company Corus, making it the world's fifthlargest steel producer. TCS inaugurates TCS China a joint venture with the Chinese government and other partners. Computational Research Laboratories, a division of Tata Sons, develops Eka, one of the fastest supercomputers in the world and the fastest in Asia. The Taj acquires Campton Place Hotel in San Francisco. Tata Steel celebrates its centenary on August 26, 2007.

2008 Tata Motors unveils Tata Nano, the Peoples Car, at the 9th Auto Expo in Delhi on January 10, 2008. Tata Motors acquires the Jaguar and Land Rover brands from the Ford Motor Company. Tata Chemicals acquires General Chemical Industrial Products Inc.