Jehangir Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata Age Biography Family Net Worth Businessman

Know about Jehangir Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata’s Age, Family, Biography, Relationships, and Career. Keep reading more to get interesting facts about Jehangir Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata

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Jehangir Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata’s Biography

Tata was an Indian aviator industrialist entrepreneur and chairman of the Tata Group. In a 2012 poll conducted by Outlook magazine conducted in association with CNN-IBN and History18 Channels with BBC Tata was named the sixth Greatest Indian. 

He was the Indian-born son of renowned businessman Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata and his spouse Suzanne Brière. His mother was the first Indian lady to drive a car and he was the country's first-ever licensed pilot in 1929. He is also well known for founding various businesses that are part of the Tata Group such as Voltas Air India Tata Motors Titan Industries and Tata Consultancy Services. 

He was given the French Legion of Honour in 1983 and two of India's highest civilian honors the Padma Vibhushan and the Bharat Ratna in 1955 and 1992. He received these honors in recognition of his contributions to the Indian industry.

Jehangir Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata's Age

Jehangir Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata’s Birthdate is on 29th July 1904. Jehangir Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata’s Zodiac sign is Leo. Tata passed away from a kidney infection on November 29 1993 in Geneva Switzerland at the age of 89. 

After his passing the Indian Parliament was suspended in his honor an honor rarely bestowed upon non-parliamentarians. He was laid to rest at Paris' Père Lachaise Cemetery.

Jehangir Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata's Family

Jehangir Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata was born to an Indian Parsi family in Paris France. Jehangir Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata’s father is Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata a businessman and Jehangir Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata’s mother is Suzanne Sooni Brière a Frenchwoman who had him as their second child. His father was the first cousin of India's founding industrialist Jamsetji Tata. 

Jehangir Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata has two younger brothers Darab and Jamshed (called Jimmy) Tata as well as two younger sisters Rodabeh and Sylla. Sylla his sister married Dins haw Maneckji Petit the third baronet of the Petit family. Rattanbai Petit the sister-in-law of his sister was married to Muhammad Ali Jinnah who eventually established Pakistan in August 1947.

Dina Jinnah a daughter of Jinnah and Rattanbai wed Neville Wadia the chairman of Bombay Dyeing and a descendant of Sir Ness Wadia and Lady Evelyne Clara Powell Wadia. Diana N. Wadia and Nusli Wadia were Neville and Dina's children. The Wadia Group's current chairman is Nusli. Jehangir Wadia and Ness Wadia are the offspring of Nusli and Maureen Waida. 

He spent a lot of his youth in France because his mother was French; hence French was his first language. His father relocated the entire family to London when he started working for Tata. While his father was in India and his family was in France J. R. D.'s mother passed away at the age of 43 at this time.

Jehangir Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata’s Education

Jehangir Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata attended the Janson-De Sailly School in Paris. He used to go by the name L'Egyptien according to one of the teachers there. He went to both the Cathedral and Mumbai's John Connon School. Tata received his education in India France Japan and London. 

After his mother passed away Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata decided to relocate his family to India and in October 1923 sent J. R. D. to England for further study. He attended a grammar school and wanted to attend Cambridge University to study engineering. J. R. D. was required to serve in the military for at least a year because he was a French citizen. He spent a brief period at home in Bombay between grammar school and his service in the army. 

After enlisting in the French Army he was sent to a spastic unit. A colonel hired Tata to work as his secretary after learning that he could type as well as read write and speak French and English. His father decided to bring him back to India after his service in the French Army when he joined the Tata Company. Tata became an Indian citizen in 1929 after giving up his French citizenship.

Jehangir Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata's Marriage

A decade that saw the start of another long-term relationship with his wife Thelma Vicaji whom he married in 1930 (seen here seated with JRD in front of the Taj Mahal Palace and Towers in Mumbai). As the long-cherished desire of the Tata Chairman comes true we look back on the journeys of JRD and Vicaji which started virtually simultaneously.

Thelma Vicaji the niece of Jack Vicaji a colorful attorney whom he hired to defend him on a charge of driving his Bugatti too quickly along Bombay's principal promenade Marine Drive was married to Jehangir Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata in 1930. Before it he was engaged to Dinbai Mehta who would later become Shapur Kharegat's mother the editor of The Economist. Vicaji Tata was a well-known Indian actress and many people's inspiration.

In 2001 she passed away at the age of 87. I'm still baffled by why there are so many people. Continue claiming that she wasn't supposed to be succeeding as an actress. She had some of the most notable acting roles of all time. The couple never had children and as she aged she became a bedridden invalid who was unable to move. 

Jehangir Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata's Career

Tata started flying when he was on tour after being inspired by his friend's father aviation pioneer Louis Blériot the first person to fly across the English Channel. Tata acquired the first license awarded in India on February 10th 1929. He eventually earned the title of Father of Indian Civil Aviation. In 1932 he launched Tata Airlines India's first commercial airline which later changed its name to Air India in 1946 and is currently the country's flag carrier. Together he and Nevill Vintcent built Tata Airlines. 

They were close buddies as well. One of the first Indians to receive a business license was J. R. D. in 1929. Tata Aviation Service the predecessor to Tata Airline and Air India began flying in 1932. In the same year he piloted a de Havilland Puss Moth on the first-ever commercial mail flight to Juhu.

On October 15 1932 J. R. D. piloted the first flight in the history of Indian aviation taking off from Drigh in Karachi for Madras. Up until 1953 when Air India was nationalized by Jawaharlal Nehru's government J. R. D. fed and cared for his airline baby. J. R. D. had argued vehemently against the choice. 

In 1925 he began working at Tata Sons as an unpaid apprentice. Tata was appointed Chairman of Tata Sons in 1938 when he was 34 years old taking control of India's largest industrial conglomerate. He succeeded his second cousin Nowroji Saklatwala in the position of Chairman of Tata Sons. He oversaw the sizable Tata Group of companies which had significant interests in steel engineering power chemicals and hotels for many years. He was renowned for building successful businesses while upholding strict moral principles and never buying or selling illegally.

The Tata Group's assets increased from $100 million to nearly $5 billion during his chairmanship. At the time of his departure on July 26 1988 Tata Sons was a conglomerate of 95 businesses that they had either created or in which they held a controlling interest fifty years after he took over the leadership of 14 businesses.

From the time the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust was established in 1932 till today he served as its trustee. In 1941 this trust built the Tata Memorial Centre for Cancer Research and Treatment Bombay which was Asia's first cancer clinic. He also established the National Center for Performing Arts the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) and the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR).

He established Tata Motors in 1945. India's first international airline Air India International was established by Tata in 1948. Tata was selected by the Indian Government as Chairman of Air India and a director on the Board of Indian Airlines in 1953. He held both positions for 25 years. He was given the honorific title of Honorary Air Commodore of India in recognition of his greatest accomplishments in aviation.

Tata has a deep regard for its employees. He started a closer employee association with a management program in 1956 to give employees a more powerful voice in business matters. He advocated the eight-hour workday free medical care a workers' provident fund and workmen's accident compensation programs because he was adamant about the welfare of his employees. These ideas ultimately became statutory requirements in India.

He also served as a founding member of the National Council for Applied Economic Research (NCAER) the country's first independent institute for economic policy which was founded in 1956 and has its headquarters in New Delhi. He established Tata Consultancy Services in 1968 as the Tata Computer Center. 

A new rule was introduced by Tata Steel in 1979 which states that a worker is considered to be at work from the time he leaves home for work till he gets home from work. This rendered the employer liable to the employee financially for any accident on the route to or from work. He established Titan Industries in 1987. Jamshedpur was also chosen as a UN Global Compact City due to the standard of living sanitation transportation and welfare that Tata provided.

Jehangir Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata's Net Worth

Jehangir Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata was a businessman whose estimated net worth was $5 billion. Jehangir Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata also known as J.R.D. Tata was a daring aviator and a visionary ahead of his time. 
He founded the Tata Group one of the most prominent and prosperous industrial conglomerates in India. Tata who was born in France to an Indian father and a French mother had a happy upbringing.

Jehangir Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata's Awards

• In 1954 he was awarded the Legion donner by the French government.
• In 1957 on the eve of the silver jubilee of Air India JRD Tata received the Padma Bhushan.
• In 1979 he became the recipient of the Tony Jannus Award for his distinguished contributions to commercial aviation.
• In 1988 he received the Guggenheim Medal for aviation.
• In 1992 because of his selfless humanitarian efforts he was bestowed with the highest civilian award the Bharat Ratna.
• In 1992 he was honored with the United Nations Population Award for his incessant endeavors towards initiating and prosperously implementing the Family Planning Movement in India.
• In 1930 he won the second position in the Aga Khan Aviation Race.
• In 1974 he became Air Vice Marshal the third highest active rank in the Indian Air Force.
• In 1975 Sir Jehangir Ghandy Medal for industrial peace.
• In 1983 he became commander of the French Legion of Honor.
• In 1985 got Gold Air Medal.
• In 1986 he won the Edward Warner Award.

11 Fun Facts About Jehangir Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata

• French was JRD Tata’s first language.
• After finishing his education in London JRD Tata enlisted in the French Army and served there for a year.
• JRD joined Tata as an unpaid apprentice in December 1925. JRD Tata was selected to lead Tata Sons at the young age of just 34. He was now in charge of India's largest manufacturing organization as a result.
• Under his leadership the Tata Group’s assets increased from $101 million to $5 billion.
• JRD Tata was the first Indian citizen to get a commercial pilot’s license on February 10 1929.
• To commemorate the 30th anniversary of Tata Airlines' inaugural flight he flew alone in 1962. He founded Tata Consultancy Services in 1968.
• He was also awarded the United Nations Populations Award for starting and implementing the family planning movement in India.
• JRD The Tata Group's operations have been scaled back as a result of Tata. He did find the prosperous Tata Consultancy Service Tata Motors Titan Industries Tata Salt Voltas and Air India after all.
• The founding of the national airline Air India was accomplished by JRD Tata. Although JRD Tata discovered it in 1932 it currently belongs to the Indian government.
• The youngest chairman of Tata Sons India's largest industrial conglomerate JRD Tata was elected at the age of 34. It's noteworthy that he replaced his second cousin Now roji Saklatwala in that capacity. It should be mentioned that the Group's assets increased from USD 100 million to USD 5 billion during his tenure. JRD Tata launched 14 businesses with a focus on fast growth; by the time he left the company around 50 years later Tata Sons had grown to be a conglomerate of 95 companies.
• One of the select industrialists to receive the Bharat Ratna and Padma Vibhushan the highest civilian honors in India is JRD Tata. In 1983 he also received the French Legion of Honor.