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J. R. D. Tata was born in Paris, France, the second child of Parsi father Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata and his French wife, Suzanne "Sooni" Brière.[2] His father was a first cousin of Jamsetji Tata, a pioneer industrialist in India. He had one elder sister Sylla, another younger sister Rodabeh two younger brother Darab and Jimmy Tata. As his mother was French, he spent much of his childhood in France and as a result, French was his first language. Tata also served in the French Foreign Legion.[citation needed] He attended the Cathedral and John Connon School, Bombay. When his father joined the Tata company he moved the whole family to London. During this time, J.R.D's mother died at an early age of 43 while his father was in India and his family was in France. After his mother's death Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata decided to move his family to India and sent J.R.D to England for higher studies in October 1923. He was enrolled in a "crammer" school, and was interested in studying Engineering at Cambridge. Just as the crammer course was ending and he was hoping to enter Cambridge, a law was passed in France to draft into the army, for two years, all French boys at the age of 20. As a citizen of France J.R.D had to enlist in the army for at least 1 year. In between the crammer and his time in the army, he spent brief spell at home in Bombay. After joining the French Army he was posted into the regiment called Le Saphis (The Sepoys). Soon the Colonel of the regiment found that there was a member of his Squadron who could not only read and write French and English,[3] but also could type, so he assigned him as a secretary in his office. Tata was once again transferred to a more luxurious office of a colonel. After a 12 month period of conscription in the French Army he wanted to proceed to Cambridge for further education, but his father decided to bring him back to India and he joined Tata Company. In 1929, JRD renounced his French citizenship and became an Indian citizen, and started working at Tata. In 1930 JRD married Thelma Vicaji, the daughter of 'Prince' Vicaji, a colourful lawyer whom he hired to defend him on a charge of driving his Bugatti too fast along Bombay's main promenade, Marine Drive. Previously he had been engaged to Dinbai Mehta, the future mother of The Economist editor Shapur Kharegat. Career[edit]

J. R. D. Tata was inspired early by aviation pioneer Louis Blériot, and took to flying. On February 10, 1929, Tata obtained the first pilot licence issued in India.[4] He later came to be known as the father of Indian civil aviation. He founded India's first commercial airline, Tata Airlines in 1932, which became Air India in 1946, now India's national airline.He and Nevill Vintcent worked together in building Tata Airlines. They were also friends. He joined Tata & Sons as an unpaid apprentice in 1925. 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 took over as Chairman of Tata Sons from his uncle Nowroji Saklatwala. For decades, he directed the huge Tata Group of companies, with major interests in Steel, Engineering, Power, Chemicals and Hospitality. He was famous for succeeding in business while maintaining high ethical standards - refusing to bribe politicians or use the black market. Under his chairmanship, the assets of the Tata Group grew from US$100 million to over US$5 billion. 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. He was the trustee of the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust from its inception in 1932 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, in Bombay in 1941. It also founded the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS, 1936), the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR, 1945), and the National Center for Performing Arts. In 1945, he founded Tata Motors. In 1948, JRD Tata launched Air India International as India's first international airline. In 1953, the Indian Government appointed JRD Tata as Chairman of Air India and a director on the Board of Indian Airlines - a position he retained for 25 years. For his crowning achievements in aviation, he was bestowed with the title of Honorary Air Commodore of India. JRD Tata cared greatly for his workers. In 1956, he 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. He was also a founding member of the first Governing Body of NCAER, the National Council of Applied Economic Research in New Delhi,India’s first independent economic policy institute established in 1956. In 1968, he founded Tata Consultancy Services. In 1979, Tata Steel instituted a new practice: a worker being deemed to be "at work" from the moment he leaves home for work till he returns home from work. This made the company financially liable to the worker for any mishap on the way to and from work. In 1987, he founded Titan Industries. Jamshedpur 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.[5] Awards and honors[edit] JRD Tata received a number of awards. He was conferred the honorary rank of Group Captain by the Indian Air Force, was promoted to the Air Commodore rank (equivalent to Brigadier in army), and was further promoted on 1 April 1974 to the Air Vice Marshal rank. Several international awards for aviation were given to him - The Tony Jannus Award in March 1979, the Gold Air Medal of the Federation Aeronautique Internationale in 1995, the Edward Warner Award of the International Civil Aviation Organisation, Canada in 1986 and the Daniel Guggenheim Award in 1988.[6] He received the Padma Vibhushan in 1955. The French Legion of Honour was bestowed on him in 1983. In 1992, because of his selfless humanitarian endeavours, JRD Tata was awarded India's highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna. In the same year, JRD Tata was also bestowed with the United Nations Population Award for his crusading endeavours towards initiating and successfully implementing the family planning movement in India, much before it became an official government policy. In his memory Government of Maharashtra termed its first double decker bridge as Bharatratne JRD Tata over bridge at Kasarwadi phata,Pune. Death[edit] JRD Tata died in Geneva, Switzerland on November 29, 1993 at the age of 89 due to Kidney Infection.[7] On his death, the Indian Parliament was adjourned in his memory:— an honour not usually given to persons who are not Members of Parliament. He is buried in the Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris. See also[edit]

R. M. Lala Jamsetji Tata Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata Dorabji Tata References[edit]

Jump up ^ A report in Vohuman.org Amalsad, Meher Dadabhoy. "Vohuman". Retrieved 2007-04-11. Jump up ^ http://www.tatacentralarchives.com/history/biographies/15%20jrdtata.htm Jump up ^ R.M. Lala : Beyond the last Blue Mountains, Life of J.R.D Tata Jump up ^ "Bombay Flying Club First Annual Report". Flight Global. 1 August 1929. Retrieved 16 September 2011. Jump up ^ UN Global Compact Cities Programme, retrieved 25 July 2013 Jump up ^ http://www.stratpost.com/blog-honorary-commissions-in-the-iaf Jump up ^ J. R. D. Tata :The Quiet Conqueror by Amar Chitra Katha ISBN 81-7508-420-0 External links[edit]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: J. R. D. Tata Brief Lifestory of JRD Tata Lala, R. M. (1992). Beyond the Last Blue Mountain: the Authorised Biography of J.R.D. Tata. Viking. ISBN 0-670-84430-6 Mambro, Arvind, ed. (2004). J.R.D. Tata Letters. Rupa. ISBN 81-291-0513-6 Biography at newindiadigest.com Biography at tata.com Lala, R.M. (1993). Beyond the last blue mountain : a life of J.R.D. Tata (New & updated ed. ed.). New Delhi, India: Viking. ISBN 9780140169010. [show] v t e Chairmen of Tata Group [show] v t e Bharat Ratna laureates [show] v t e Tata Group

Authority control WorldCat VIAF: 112743884 LCCN: n85211366 ISNI: 0000 0000 8311 1435 GND: 133803481 SUDOC: 094536899 Categories: 1904 births1993 deathsAviation history of IndiaAviation pioneersFrench emigrants to IndiaIndian aviatorsIndian chief executivesIndian ZoroastriansParsi peoplePeople from MumbaiRecipients of the Bharat RatnaRecipients of the Padma VibhushanSoldiers of the French Foreign LegionTata familyBusinesspeople in steelBusinesspeople in information technologyBusinesspeople in coffee