BOOK REVIEW ON

 Collection of letters written by the

twentieth century legend J.R.D. Tata
 Edited by Arvind Mambro
 Published by Rupa. Co
 Copyright J.R.D. Tata Trust
 First published 2004
 Jehangir Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata
 July 29, 1904 – November 29, 1993
 1904: Born in Paris
 J.R.D. was an interesting product of two
continents.
 Father: Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata, Parsi
 Mother: Suzzane, French
 JRD Tata was the second of four children
 Marries Thelma Vicaji
 1926: Joins Tata Sons Limited.
 1993: Dies in Geneva.
 JRD’s education was regularly distrupted
 Studied at England
 After school he was drafted for a year into

French army
 He expected to go to Cambridge but he back

to india to join the Tatas

 He never went to a University
 He missed his college education
 He started studying after office hours, books

on various aspects of business

Movie jrd tata.wmv
 PERSONAL
 TOWRADS FREEDOM AND AFTER

 AVIATION

 MANAGING MAN

 CITY, NATION AND BEYOND

 PROMINENT PERSONALITIES, FRIENDS AND

OTHERS
 THE LAST LETTERS
 Letter to Father : 14 December 1921

My poor/dearest Papa,
I am writing this letter today to ask you something. And this
something is the biggest thing I ever asked for and a thing which
there are nine chances on ten you will refuse. But as miracles do
happen sometimes and that you don’t consider me now as a child
I take my courage in both my hands as we say in French, and ask
you for a motorcycle!
I know that you will at first get angry or shrug your shoulders,
but please Papa think about it long before you take a decision.
I know what I ask you is terrible considering your ideas and
Mama’s on a motorcycle which to you both is simply an
instrument of accidents
 Letter to Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru
14 August 1947

Dear Jawaharlal on this day my thoughts go to you

whose steadfast and inspired leadership have brought
India to her goal through these long years of struggle and
suffering stop I rejoice that you who have always held so
high the torch of freedom are the first Prime Minister of
free India an I send you my Heartfelt wishes of success in
the heavy task of guiding her to her great destiny.

Jeh
 1929 Secures pilot’s license, the first in India
 1932 Aviation Department of Tata Sons setup
 1938 Aviation Department renamed Tata Air

Lines
 1946 Tata Air Lines renamed Air-India Ltd.
 1948 Air-India International incorporated as

a joint sector venture

 1953 Aviation Industry Nationalized
 To Jawaharlal Nehru : About labour dispute in
TISCO at Jamshedpur in 1939
 To T.T. Krishnamachari : About Tata Locomotive
& Engineering Company , Truck manufacturere
 To Biju Patnaik : About nationalisation of TATA
Steel.
 To Sir Homi Mody : He joined Tatas as a Director
in 1934 and remained a senior Director until 1959.
 To Sir Fredrick James : he was Vice President and
Managing Director, Tata Ltd., London
 To Viren Shah : Former Chairman and Managing
Director, Mukand Iron & Steel Company limited who
became Governor of West Bengal
 To P.K. Kapadia : Annual General Meeting of Tata
Companies Here JRD answerd a letter from one
such share holder who, probably being new was
not in tune with him at the meeting
 A Citizen’s Concerns
 Economic and industrial Scenario
 The Political Scene
 Family Planning
 Business Ethics

 And he wrote to Rajiv Gandhi about companies

which are in black list, dishonest business houses
import license, economic development.
 Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru
 Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel the “Iron Man of

India” about economic matter

 C. Rajagopalchari about Air India
 Dr. Homi Bhabha about the construction of

Canada-India Reactor
 Luis Fischer the Author of The Life of

Mahatma Gandhi (1950)

 Mrs. Louie Woods wife of JRD’s Friend Goerge

Woods
 To Dr. Gritli Mitterwallaner a German
Ideologist who was family friend
 Prof. A.V. Krishna Murty Chairman,

Department of Aerospace Engineering Indian

Institute of Science, Banglore
 D. J.J. Irani Managing Director, Tata Steel. It

was JRD’s last telegram sent from Geneva

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