The Four Partners : The Founder of the House of Tata, Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata, was born in a family of Parsi priests in 1839. By 1868 he started a private trading firm and in 1874, he floated the Central India Spinning Weaving and Manufacturing Company Limited. However, he went on to launch another textile mill before he stepped on the scene of history. In 1887, he formed a partnership firm, Tata & Sons, with his elder son Sir Dorabji Tata and his cousin Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata (known as ‘R.D.’ and the father of J.R.D. Tata.) His younger son Sir Ratan Tata joined the firm in 1896. By the time Jamsetji was 50 and a man of fortune, he found that business was not his only business - the nation became his business. He wanted to lift India to the level of the most advanced nation of the world and considered imparting technical education as one of the means to attain that objective. He envisioned steel production to give India the technological prowess, and hydro-electric energy as an alternative for a pollution free Bombay because, the city then had over a hundred mills that ran on steam engines. Jamsetji donated half his wealth, namely fourteen buildings and four landed properties to start a university of research, now the prestigious Indian Institute of Science. In 1892, he started giving scholarships to deserving students for higher studies abroad. His sons, Dorabji and Ratan too established pioneering trusts geared to building educational, social, cultural and scientific infrastructure for the nation. When Jamsetji passed away in 1904, it was his eldest son Sir Dorabji Tata who assumed the mantle. It was Dorabji, with his drive and enthusiasm, aided by the resolve of his cousin, R.D. Tata and his brother Sir Ratan Tata, who saw Jamsetji’s projects through to the stage of accomplishment. Under Dorabji’s stewardship, apart from Taj Mahal Hotel, an integrated steel plant – then the largest unit in the British empire – three electric power companies, a large edible oil and soap company, two cement companies, one of India's leading insurance companies and an aviation unit pioneered by J. R. D. Tata were added. After Jamsetji’s death Sir Ratan Tata along with his elder brother Dorab, followed in the footsteps of their father with great ability and zest. A sensitive and artistic personality, Sir Ratan was a man whose ideas were far ahead of his time. Sir Ratan always had in mind the upliftment of the poor and the improvement of social surroundings of his country’s people. Ratanji Tata (R.D.) took charge of the important departments of the firm and played an important role in steering the House of Tatas after 1916, when the company was going through the most critical financial phases of the world’s post war readjustment placed him in forefront of the great industrialists of the day. Known for his maturity and his role as a stalwart guardian, R.D. Tata continued to look after the trading and financial side of the company by devoting more time at the Head Office in Bombay. He thus played a significant part in realising Jamsetji’s dream projects, especially the Iron and Steel Company, Hydro-Electric Companies and the Indian Institute of Science. Source : Tata Central Archives

that standing chap is ratan tata? wow!

The TATA Family Tree : http://www.tatacentralarchives.com/history/family_tree/family_tree.pdf

I was shocked to read a Book Called Opium city its about Early Settlements in Bombay. Its interesting to know most of the Parsis and other businessmen from Bombay were Opium smugglers

Paresh, You make a good point, now how different is the opium selling (or smoking) compared to tobacco and alcohol, the latter done legally is considered perfectly normal.

>> Opium was traded freely those days Actually, Opium trade for the longest part was a monopoly of East India company, it was opened up later, much later, about the time synthetic substitutes were already in the pipeline. I guess we have much to thank the Germans for, had they not discovered the synthetic forms of Indigo etc, the British depredations on land would have lasted much longer. The return of land to crop cultivation allowed India to build back its strength in no small degree.

Two good books I would recommend ".Prarambh the beginning "by Gangadhar Gadgil.Its a well researched book on how Bombay was developed , socio-economic milieu of that time and contribution of various communities including British in making Bombay "Urbs Prima in Indus" "Sea of Poppies" is a novel by Amitav Ghosh . It paints vast canvass of Indentured labor ,poppy cultivation ,Opium factories ,social and cultural atmosphere in Calcutta under East India Company and Opium wars. Both are excellent read .

The German propensity and accumen to make artificial chemicals (in the laboratory and in factories) later led to a huge ecological cost for the world. The big drawbacks of commercial crops is promotion of mono-crop culture. All agriculture leads to depredation of land in some measure or the other as forests get cleared for agriculture.

RM Lala's book on 100 years of Tata Steel is worth a read in this context. I recall a newspaper having captioned a review as "Romance with Steel".

@Shekhar -- The Germans did what they did because the British were blocking their efforts to procure materials. In the end it did help India for sure, since in India we went from more damaging to less damaging form of land use. Yes all human activity has ecological impact, but it is entirely possible to maintain a sustainable balance. Of course the entire balance broke post the exploitation model that was created in 1800s; but it did predate the Industrial revolution and in some case the revolution helped India.

Satyakam : Are there any references to validate your argument that the British blocked the Germans to procure materials as far back as 1850 ?

By this reference...we have to presume by implication that such a blockage (not mentioned anywhere) precipitated the Germans to develop through alternative sources.

TATA was also involved in china opium trade where he made his millions.The nice part was that he invested his gains in industry and growth of India

Bombay was a capitalist city and Its trading Community mainly the Parsis owe thier properity largely to Opium Smuggling to China with active blessings of the British Unfortunately It destroyed an entire Generation of Chinese who were hooked to opium by the imperialist and clearly documented in the chinese history books and I can understand where its animosity towards India largely comes from.

Opium in China Opium is said to have been introduced into China by the Arabs probably in the 13th century, and it was originally used there as a medicine. In a Chinese Herbal compiled before 1700 both the plant and its juice are described, together with the mode of collecting it, and in the General History of the Southern Provinces of Yunnan, revised and republished in 1736, opium is noticed as a common product. The first edict prohibiting opium smoking was issued by the emperor Yung Cheng in 1729. Up to that date the amount imported did not exceed 200 chests, and was usually brought from India by junks as a return cargo. In the year 1757 the monopoly of opium cultivation in India passed into the hands of the East India Company through the victory of Clive at Plassey. Up to 1773 the trade with China had been in the hands of the Portuguese, but in that year the East India Company took the trade under their own charge. Although the importation was forbidden by the Chinese imperial authorities in 1796, and opium smoking punished with severe penalties (ultimately increased to transportation and death), the trade continued and had increased during 1820 - 1830 to 16,877 chests per annum. The trade was contraband, and the opium was bought by the Chinese from depot ships at the ports. More at : http://www.2020site.org/opium/china.html

Learning about history is not simple homilies or judging the past from the present value systems...but to get a perspective of the past from understanding the dynamics of the time . The Opium Act and the History of Early Drug Regulation in Canada : The government outlawed opium under the pretext of eliminating and rooting out evil in society and ensuring Christian values and healthy upbringing in Canadian communities. The criminalization of opium was considered a political act and was not so much based on health concerns for its citizens. Canadians at the time did not oppose the Opium Act but in fact they supported it widely as it was seen as a direct attack against a minority they considered an economic threat to their society. Read more at : http://www.suite101.com/content/the-opium-act-and-the-history-of-early-drug-regulation-in-canada-a257290#ixzz1Fe0xKx9W

The House of Tata was founded in the 19th century by Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata, the scion of a family of Zoroastrian priests who had fled persecution in Persia. Called the "father of Indian industry," J.N. Tata is said to have been deeply impressed by Thomas Carlyle's declaration that "the nation which gains control of iron soon acquires the control of gold." So, after making his first fortune running a textile mill, he made plans for the creation of India's first steel mill, first hydroelectric plant, and first university devoted to science instruction, Bangalore's Indian Institute of Science, all of which were completed after his death. Given the importance of a technological education in India's current niche in the global economy (perhaps Carlyle's aphorism should be updated: "the nation that gains control of high tech..."), Tata's determination to create such a university echoes down the centuries. On New Year's Day this year, the president of India, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, quoted from a letter written in 1898 by Tata to Swami Vivekananda (the man responsible for introducing yoga to the U.S. and England), asking him to be the director of his proposed college. Dear Swami Vivekananda, I trust, you remember me as a fellow-traveler on your voyage from Japan to Chicago. I very much recall at this moment your views on the growth of the ascetic spirit in India, and the duty, not of destroying, but of diverting it into useful channels. I recall these ideas in connection with my scheme of Research Institute of Science for India, of which you have doubtless heard or read. It seems to me that no better use can be made of the ascetic spirit than the establishment of monasteries or residential halls for men dominated by this spirit, where they should live with ordinary decency, and devote their lives to the cultivation of sciences -- natural and humanistic. I am of opinion that, if such a crusade in favour of an asceticism of this kind were undertaken by a competent leader, it would greatly help asceticism, science, and the good name of our common country; and I know not who would make a more fitting general of such a campaign than Vivekananda. Do you think you would care to apply yourself to the mission of galvanizing into life our traditions in this respect? Perhaps you had better begin with a fiery pamphlet rousing our people in this matter. I should cheerfully defray all the expenses of publication. All very inspiring. And indeed, if you spend any amount of time delving through the voluminous online archives of the Tata Group, you cannot help coming to the conclusion that J.N. Tata was a strange brew of Andrew Carnegie and Bill Gates, with a dash of Jesus Christ and Franklin Roosevelt thrown in for good measure. Source : Salon.com

Thank you Paresh Terse !! I entirely agree with you...the Tata's have given so much for this country and its people that it would only be gracious to acknowledge their extraordinary contributions. How many of us are aware that : "...The Tata Group has operations in more than 80 countries across six continents and its companies export products and services to 80 nations. The Tata Group comprises 114 companies and subsidiaries in eight business sectors,[4] 27 of which are publicly listed. 65.8% of the ownership of Tata Group is held in charitable trusts. Companies which form a major part of the group include Tata Steel (including Tata Steel Europe), Tata Motors (including Jaguar and Land Rover), Tata Consultancy Services, Tata Technologies, Tata Tea (including Tetley), Tata Chemicals, Titan Industries, Tata Power, Tata Communications, Tata Teleservices and the Taj Hotels." More at : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tata_Group

Paresh : The Sudha Murthy article you have posted earlier is very touching...reflecting the greatness of JRD - one the people I truly admire. I will post it on the wall for greater visibility. Thanks !

Great visionery JN Tata, he willed one third of his properties more than 10 years earliar to his death in 1904 in favour of IISC, though it was started with his funds, he had said that Institute of Science sould not be attached with his name. Indian Institute of Science came into being after his death, Krishnaraj Wadiyar IV the Maharaja then granted land for the Institute, JN Tata'a vision and and Maharaja's liberal and farsighted approach, made IISC's presence in Bangalore.

@paresh terse, Please don't misuderstand my refernce to opium trade has anything to do with Parsi Community. I have the highest regard for Parsis. In fact my best friends are all Persians.