Section 34
J R D Tata
India's first licensed pilot, founder of Tata Airlines and Tata chairman for over 50 years. (Tata Sons / Tata Airlines (Air India))
- life
- 1904–1993
- era
- Before Independence
- 53
- Years as chairman of Tata Sons · 1991
- 34
- Age on becoming chairman · 1938
The story
Jehangir Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata was born in Paris in 1904. He joined the Tatas in December 1925 as an unpaid apprentice.
In 1929 he received India's first pilot licence. In 1930 he proposed an airmail service linking Karachi, Ahmedabad and Bombay. In 1932 he flew the first flight himself, from Karachi to Bombay. This small mail service became Tata Airlines and later Air India.
In 1938, at 34, he became chairman of Tata Sons, the youngest in the group's history. Over more than 50 years he took the group into chemicals, automobiles, tea and information technology, and helped set up the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (1945) and the National Centre for the Performing Arts.
Air India was nationalised in 1953. In 1991 he named Ratan Tata as his successor. He received the Bharat Ratna in 1992 and died in Geneva on 29 November 1993.
Timeline
- 1929Receives India's first pilot licence.
- 1932Flies the first Karachi-Bombay mail flight; Tata Airlines is born.
- 1938Becomes chairman of Tata Sons at 34.
- 1945Sets up the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research with Homi Bhabha.
- 1953Air India is nationalised by the government.
- 1991Hands over the chairmanship to Ratan Tata after 53 years.
- 1992Receives the Bharat Ratna and the UN Population Award.