J. R. D. Tata (29 July 1904 – 29 November 1993) was an Indian industrialist and aviation pioneer who led the Tata Group for more than half a century. He was India’s first licensed pilot and founded the airline that became Air India. He expanded the group into a vast industrial family that included TCS, Titan and Tata Motors. He was the first businessman awarded the Bharat Ratna.
Quick Facts
| Full name | Jehangir Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata |
| Born | 29 July 1904, Paris, France |
| Died | 29 November 1993, Geneva, Switzerland (aged 89) |
| Position | Chairman, Tata Sons (1938–1991) |
| Founded | Tata Air Lines (later Air India), 1932 |
| Parents | Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata, Suzanne Brière |
| Spouse | Thelma Vicaji (m. 1930) |
| Honours | Padma Vibhushan (1955), Légion d’honneur, Bharat Ratna (1992) |
Early Life
J. R. D. Tata was born in Paris to R. D. Tata, a partner in the Tata business, and his French wife, Suzanne. He grew up between France, India, Japan and England and served a year in the French army. Inspired by the aviator Louis Blériot, he fell in love with flying as a boy.
Career
In 1929 J. R. D. became the first person to receive a pilot’s licence in India. On 15 October 1932 he personally flew the first airmail flight of Tata Air Lines from Karachi to Bombay. The airline became Air India in 1946. After it was nationalised in 1953, he remained its chairman until 1978.
J. R. D. became chairman of Tata Sons in 1938 at 34 and led it until 1991. During those 53 years the group grew from about a dozen companies to nearly a hundred. New ventures included Tata Consultancy Services, Titan, Tata Tea and Voltas, and Tata Motors grew into a major vehicle maker. He supported institutions such as the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, set up with Homi Bhabha, Tata Memorial Hospital and the National Centre for the Performing Arts. He also championed family planning.
Personal Life and Death
J. R. D. married Thelma Vicaji in 1930, and they had no children. In 1991 he handed over the chairmanship to Ratan Tata. He died in Geneva on 29 November 1993, aged 89.
Awards and Honours
Frequently Asked Questions
When and where was J. R. D. Tata born?
J. R. D. Tata was born on 29 July 1904 in Paris, France.
When did J. R. D. Tata die?
Died: 29 November 1993, Geneva, Switzerland (aged 89).
What honours has J. R. D. Tata received?
Padma Vibhushan (1955), Légion d’honneur, Bharat Ratna (1992).
