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Photos shared by business tycoon Ratan Tata on Instagram in 2021.
JRD Tata was born on July 29, 1904 in Paris, France, the son of Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata and Suzanne Brière. In 1929, he became the first licensed pilot in India.
Jehangir Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata, commonly known as JRD Tata, is famous for the huge success of the Tata Group and is considered the father of the Indian aviation industry. Under his dynamic leadership, the Tata Group expanded its footprint in various industries including steel, aviation, hotels, automobiles and information technology. In 1992, JRD Tata was awarded the Bharat Ratna in recognition of his outstanding works.
JRD Tata was born on July 29, 1904 in Paris, France, the son of Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata and Suzanne Brière. He is a member of the famous Tata family, whose name is associated with quality, invention and dedication to social progress. This year marks the 120th anniversary of the birth of the legendary JRD.
JRD Tata’s 120th Birth Anniversary: Little-Known Facts
- JRD Tata was born in France and completed his education in London. After completing his studies, he joined the French army and served for a year.
- JRD Tata was 15 when he was hitchhiking in France, determined to become a pilot and, if possible, pursue a career in aviation. He waited nine years before setting up a flying club in his hometown of Mumbai.
- JRD Tata was not the first to register, but he was the first Indian to graduate with a “No”. 1' approved on his flight certificate.
- In 1930, he received a prize of £500 (approximately Rs. 54,000) for becoming the first Indian to fly solo between England and India.
- When JRD Tata returned to India, he started working as an unpaid intern for Tata & Sons. After 12 years of hard work, he was promoted to Chairman of Tata Sons.
- He is the youngest chairman of Tata Sons. JRD Tata, 34, has been appointed chairman of Tata Sons. Under his leadership, the company expanded from a $100 million to a $5 billion empire.
- JRD Tata founded Air India in 1932, India's first domestic airline. .
- He was the first businessman and industrialist to receive India's highest civil awards, Padma Vibhushan (1955) and Bharat Ratna (1992), in recognition of his contribution to India's industrial expansion. He also received the United Nations Population Award for his creation and implementation of the family planning program in India.
- On February 10, 1929, JRD Tata became the first Indian to obtain a commercial pilot's license. Due to his immense contribution to the industry, he is known as the “Father of Indian Aviation”.
- JRD Tata served as a trustee of the Dorabji Tata Foundation for 50 years, and under his leadership the foundation established Asia's first cancer hospital, the Tata Cancer Memorial Center, in 1941.
- He died in Geneva from a kidney infection. The Indian Parliament adjourned to mourn his death, an honor not bestowed on non-Parliamentarians.
JRD Tata on 120th Birth Anniversary: Inspiring Quotes
1. “Unusual thinkers reuse things that ordinary thinkers reject.”
2. “I don't want India to become an economic superpower. I want India to be a happy country.”
3. “The common people have the desire to eat and drink, but ordinary people have the desire to serve with their mouths.”
4. “Good interpersonal relationships not only bring huge personal rewards, but are critical to the success of any business.”
5. “Any material success or achievement is not worthwhile unless it serves the needs or interests of the country and its people and is achieved in a fair and honest manner.”
