Jamsetji Tata : A unique

Legacy 1839 - 1904 .

By :
Trivikram Nath Pandey
Jamsetji Tata was born
on March 3 , 1839 , in
the sleepy town of
Navsari in Gujarat . He
was the first child
and only son of
Nusserwanji Tata , the
scion of a family of
Parsee priests .
In 1868 , aged 29 and
wiser for the
experience garnered by
nine years of working
with his father , a
merchant banker ,
Jamsetji Tata started
a trading company with
a capital of Rs21 , 000 .
Jamsetji Tata was an
inveterate traveler .
Many of his business
ideas were born during
his travels , and he was
quick to bring back to
India the technologies
he saw abroad .
On January 1 , 1877 , the day queen
Victoria was proclaimed empress of India ,
the empress mills came into existence in
Nagpur . At the age of 37 , Jamsetji Tata
had embarked on the first of his
fantastic odysseys .
Bombay ( captured here at the
turn of the 20th century )
found an enduring place in
Jamsetji Tata ’ s heart . He loved
the city , which he had made his
home as a 14 - year - old , and he
did plenty to benefit it .
Jamsetji Tata was
an inveterate
traveler. Many of
his business ideas
were born during
his travels, and
he was quick to
bring back to
India the
technologies he
saw abroad.
Jamsetji Tata and the three men
who , together , formed the nucleus of
the Tata group during the
patriarch ’ s lifetime : cousin RD
Tata ( centre ) and sons Ratan Tata
( standing ) and Dorab Tata ( right ).
This 1930s photograph shows the Taj Mahal Hotel in
Mumbai , with the Gateway of India in the foreground .
Legend has it that Jamsetji Tata set his mind on
building it after being denied entry into one of
the city ’ s hotels for being an Indian .

By the time of its completion in 1903 , the Taj had

cost Rs4 . 21 crore . Soaked in luxury , it was the
first building in Bombay to use electricity .
 Milestones
vIn 1868 Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata
starts a private trading firm , laying
the foundation of the Tata group .

vIn 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 .

vIn 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 .
Milestones as predicte
§In 1907 The Tata iron and steel
company by his elder son Sir
Dorab Tata .

§In 1911 The Indian Institute of

Science , set up in Bangalore ,
would nurture some of the
brightest minds in India .

§In 1910 Hydro - electric Project

at Bombay is an example of his
foresightedness .
 Jamsetji ’ s Family

This undated image , probably taken

towards the end of Jamsetji Tata ’ s
life , shows the patriarch with his
wife Heerabai , his sons Dorab Tata
( extreme left ) and Ratan Tata , and
his daughters - in - law .
 t i o n
t e n
o r At
k s f
Th a n

Sourcehttp
: ://www.tata.com