29 Facts About JRD Tata

Jehangir Ratanji Dadabhoy JRD Tata was an Indian aviator, industrialist, entrepreneur and chairman of JRD Tata Group.

JRD Tata's mother was the first woman in India to drive a car and, in 1929, he became the first licensed pilot in India.

JRD Tata is best known for being the founder of several industries under the Tata Group, including Tata Consultancy Services, Tata Motors, Titan Industries, Tata Salt, Voltas and Air India.

JRD Tata was the second child of businessman Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata and his French wife, Suzanne "Sooni" Briere.

JRD Tata's father was the first cousin of Jamsetji Tata, a pioneer industrialist in India.

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JRD Tata had one elder sister Sylla, a younger sister Rodabeh and two younger brothers Darab and Jamshed Tata.

JRD Tata attended the Cathedral and John Connon School, Bombay.

In 1929, JRD Tata renounced his French citizenship and became an Indian citizen.

In 1930 JRD Tata married Thelma Vicaji, the niece of Jack 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.

JRD Tata found some Parsi religious customs like their funeral rites and their exclusiveness irksome.

JRD Tata adhered to the three basic tenets of Zoroastrianism, which were good thoughts, good words, and good deeds, but he did not profess belief or disbelief in God.

When JRD Tata was in tour, he was inspired by his friend's father, aviation pioneer Louis Bleriot, the first man to fly across the English Channel, and took to flying.

JRD Tata later came to be known as the "Father of Indian civil aviation".

JRD Tata founded India's first commercial airline, Tata Airlines in 1932, which became Air India in 1946, now India's national airline.

In 1938, at the age of 34, JRD Tata was elected Chairman of JRD Tata Sons making him the head of the largest industrial group in India.

JRD Tata took over as Chairman of Tata Sons from his second cousin Nowroji Saklatwala.

JRD Tata was famous for succeeding in business while maintaining high ethical standards – refusing to bribe politicians or use the black market.

JRD Tata started with 14 enterprises under his leadership and half a century later on 26 July 1988, when he left, Tata Sons was a conglomerate of 95 enterprises which they either started or in which they had controlling interest.

JRD Tata was the trustee of the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust from its inception in 1932 for over half a century.

JRD Tata founded the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, and the National Center for Performing Arts.

In 1948, JRD Tata launched Air India International as India's first international airline.

JRD Tata 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 was 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 1979, JRD Tata Steel instituted a new practice: a worker being deemed to be "at work" from the moment he leaves home for work until he returns home from work.

JRD Tata was controversially supportive of the declaration of emergency powers by Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi, in 1975.

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JRD Tata was conferred the honorary rank of group captain by the Indian Air Force in 1948, was promoted to the Air Commodore rank on 4 October 1966, and was further promoted on 1 April 1974 to the Air Vice Marshal rank.

In 1992, because of his selfless humanitarian endeavours, JRD Tata was awarded India's highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna.

JRD Tata died in Geneva, Switzerland on 29 November 1993 at the age of 89 of a kidney infection.

JRD Tata said a few days before his passing: "Comme c'est doux de mourir" .