Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata (1839–1904) was an Indian industrialist. Known as the father of Indian industry, he laid the foundation for the multi-billion dollar Tata Group. He was an Indian philanthropist, patriot, humanist, builder and entrepreneur who built his own textile factory in Nagpur from scratch, laying the foundation for the Tata Group. The TATA Group currently has 30 companies in 10 vertical industries. Popularly known as the Iron Man, he founded the Iron City of Jamshedpur. He is the number one legendary figure on the list of the world’s top philanthropists of the 20th century, with an estimated donation of $102 billion. For his legendary work, Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru once called him the “Planning Committee of one man”.
Wiki/Biography
Jamsetji Tata was born on Sunday, March 3, 1839 in Navsari, Gujarat (died aged 65). He grew up in Mumbai in the family of a Parsi priest.
Jamsetji Tata’s childhood
His parents believed in his abilities and worked hard to provide him with the best educational facilities. His early education was along the lines of that provided by the British in India. He began assisting his father at the age of 14. He graduated from Elphinstone College, Bombay, in 1858.
family and caste
Jamshetji was born into a family of Parsi priests.
Parents and siblings
His father Nusserwanji was the first businessman in the family and ran an export trading business in Bombay (now Mumbai). His mother’s name was Jeevanbai Tata; Jamshedji was the only son of his parents.
Did you know that Jamshetji had three sons? Dorabji Tata, Ratanji Tata… and the Indian Institute of Science! pic.twitter.com/puu5hmUF9O
— Tata Group (@TataCompanies) February 28, 2018
wife and children
Jamsetji married Hirabai Daboo when he was 16 years old. They have two sons, Dorabji Tata and Ratanji Tata. When he got married, he was still a student.
genealogy
Tata Group Family Tree
Click here to know more about the Tatas.
Profession
Building a successful business during British rule
In 1858, the British government took over the East India Company and established its rule over India. The cotton industry flourished. At the time, the United States was the largest cotton producer and exporter. But the American Civil War affected cotton production and exports. It was then that the British began to focus on India’s cotton needs. They began buying cotton from Indian producers, which they had a monopoly on. Demand for cotton skyrocketed in India and remained high even after the American Civil War. In the same year (1858), Jamsetji joined his father’s export trading business in Bombay. This time, he’s not just lending a helping hand. He became involved in business operations and helped his father expand his business. He worked hard to establish branches of his father’s business in Europe, Japan, China and the United States. Once, his father sent him to Hong Kong to study the opium trade. During this trip, he witnessed with his own eyes the booming development of the textile industry. He already knew that India could become a leading producer and exporter of cotton. He saw this evident from three factors:
- India has vast fertile land that can produce large quantities of cotton.
- The country had a sizeable population that could provide labor for picking cotton.
- and well-connected seaports for the export of cotton and textiles.
Jamshedji decided to invest in India’s potential and became excited about the idea of starting his own business.
Laying the foundation of the Tata Group
In 1869, Jamshetji finally decided to embark on his first business venture. To this end, he purchased a bankrupt oil factory in Chinchpokli community in south Mumbai. He converted it into a cotton trading factory and named it Alexandra Mills. The minimum capital investment is Rs. 21,000, he spent a year turning it into a profitable textile trading company. He ran the mill for two years and then sold it to a cotton merchant for a profit. In 1874, he planned to start a textile manufacturing factory and chose Nagpur as its physical location. Mumbaikars criticized him for choosing Nagpur instead of Mumbai to set up the factory. But Jamshetji knew what he was doing as he did thorough research on setting up a textile manufacturing unit in Nagpur before venturing into this industry. He found time to visit Western countries and study their textile production patterns. He has traveled to the United Kingdom, Russia, Turkey, Egypt, and Syria to inspect upgraded industrial ecosystems. These countries are much more advanced than India. There he also witnessed the potential of the rail network and how it could be used as an efficient means of transportation. India, on the other hand, was severely lacking in infrastructure and Jamshedji came up with initiatives to overcome these obstacles. With all the knowledge gained from his research, he chose Nagpur as it was located in the cotton producing area which would be beneficial for his textile unit. Nagpur is over 800 kilometers away from Mumbai port, which makes transporting production challenging. To overcome this obstacle, he relied on the newly developed railway network. Keeping all these factors in mind, he laid the foundation of the Tata Group at Empress Mills in Nagpur and it became a success.
new business areas
After achieving success in the textile industry, he started working on new business verticals with his sons. In 1901, Jamsetji and his sons (Sir Dorabji Tata and Ratanji Tata) began work on India’s first large-scale steel plant project, now known as Tata Steel. His sons established the factory in Sarkozy, Jharkhand. Later, the village grew and merged with Jamshedpur, also known as Tata Nagar. Another of his dreams was to build a hotel. The hotel was inaugurated in Bombay on December 3, 1903 and was named the Taj Mahal Hotel.
Taj Mahal Palace built by Jamsetji Tata
A businessman with a broad mind
Jamshetji Tata was not a businessman, his sole purpose in working was to make profits. On the contrary, he is a humanist who seeks the welfare of the masses and focuses on formulating labor protection policies.
Jamsetji initiates creation of well-ventilated work environment at Mills
He introduced well-ventilated workplaces, reduced working hours, organized events such as sports meets, provided free medical help to workers, and opened nurseries for young working women.
Watch: The life and times of Jamshedji Tata, whose philosophy and values continue to guide the Tata Group #JNTata #FoundersDay pic.twitter.com/XbKTfmpH3X
— Tata Group (@TataCompanies) March 3, 2017
In order to protect workers’ retirement life, he was the first to implement a provident fund plan and a pension plan to ensure the welfare of workers. In 1886, he established a pension fund to provide for his employees’ retirement. Later, he realized the importance of accident compensation and introduced the same in 1895. He initiated these changes when slavery and abuse became the norm for laborers around the world. As a result, he is ahead of his competitors in terms of revenue and employee loyalty. On the occasion of Jamsetji Tata’s 183rd birth anniversary, Ratan Tata paid tribute to the legend and promoted his values and ethics on Twitter.
Mr. Jamsetji Nusewanji Tata provided us with his inspiration, his morals, values and selflessness that provided dignity and livelihood to thousands of citizens. I extend my best wishes to all the employees of the Tata Group on the occasion of our founder’s birthday. pic.twitter.com/v8YXYluIZS
— Ratan N. Tata (@RNTata2000) March 3, 2022
famous philanthropist
Not everyone knows that Jamshedji was the top philanthropist of the last century, with an estimated gift of $102.4 billion; an amount considered much higher when compared to the top philanthropists of modern times.
Jamsetji Tata shares his vision of building towns for workers
die
In 1900, Jamshetji went on a business trip to Germany, where he fell ill. He died in Bad Nauheim, Germany, on May 19, 1904, at the age of 65.He is buried in Brookwood Cemetery, Woking, England
Facts/Trivia
- He wanted to achieve four things in his life: build a steel company, create a world-class learning institution, build a hotel, and build a hydroelectric power plant.
- In his spare time, he enjoys reading various books, novels and scriptures.
- He installed the first humidifiers and fire sprinklers in India.
- His family comes from the Zoroastrian minority community that came to India from Iran.
- He was a strong supporter of the Swadeshi movement and founded a mill in 1886 and named it Svadeshi Mill.
- Sir Dinshaw Edulji Wacha, one of the founders of the Indian National Congress, wrote the biography “The Life and Life Work of JN Tata” on Jamsetji in 1915.
- His second biography was written by RM Lala (2006) titled “For the Love of India: The Life and Times of Jamsetji Tata”.
- He supported the development of a new vaccine against the plague and received the first dose himself.
- Indian Cricket Club realizes his dream of a green Mumbai with solar roof.
- He laid out a road map for today’s Mumbai.
- His company, Tata Steel, has supported the construction of some of the country’s major infrastructure developments, including the Marine Link in Mumbai and the Hatta Bridge in Kolkata.
- The famous Mysore silk today evolved from his experiments in sericulture.
How did a man born in 1839 become a part of our lives today?On the 183rd birth anniversary of our founder Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata, we pay tribute to this visionary whose #legend lasts forever. #JNTata #thisistata pic.twitter.com/RDSN3PzXAM
— Tata Group (@TataCompanies) March 2, 2022
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education