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From Jamsetji to Ratan: The Tata men who built an empire

The Tata Group was founded by Jamsetji Tata in 1868.

• By: News Desk |
• February 21, 2017 2:48 pm

• Tags: Ratan Tata,

Ratan Tata on Monday returned as the chairperson of Tata Sons, replacing Cyrus Mistry who had taken over the reins of company in 2012. He will be the interim boss for four months while the board looks for a new chairperson. Here’s a look at the people who have headed the billion dollar conglomerate in the past.

1. Jamsetji Tata: Born in 1839 to a Parsi family in Baroda, Jamsetji Tata founded the Tata Group in 1868. He set up a steel company in central India way back in 1870s. He also built the famous Taj Mahal Hotel in Mumbai in 1903.

2. Sir Dorabji Tata (1904-1932): Dorabji Tata was the elder son of Jamsetji Tata. He is credited with the establishment of Tata Steel (1907) and Tata Power (1911). Later, he founded the New India Assurance Co Ltd in 1919. Dorabji Tata was knighted in 1910.

3. Nowroji Saklatwala (1932-1938): Nowroji Saklatwala was the third chairperson of the group from 1932 till his death in 1938. He took over the reins after Dorabji’s death and assumed the responsibility of taking forward the company through the Great Depression. Saklatwala is known for his interest in cricket, and was the first chairman of Cricket Club of India soon after it was establishment in 1933. He also contributed significantly towards the development of Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai.

4. JRD Tata (1938-1991): Having taken over the reins of the conglomerate in 1938, Jamshedji Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata is so far the longest serving chairman of the group. He is best known for having founded Tata Consultancy Services, Tata Motors, Titan Industries, Tata Tea, Voltas and Air India. He was conferred with the Bharat Ratna in 1992, India’s highest civilian award. He also received the Padma Vibhushan in 1995.

5. Ratan Tata (1991-2012): Ratan Tata headed the Tata Group from 1991 to 2012. An alumnus of Cornell University and Harvard Business School, Tata during his tenure oversaw major acquisitions that created ripples in the business fraternity. In 2000, Tata Tea purchased British tea manufacturer Tetley, whereas Tata Steel acquired British steel maker Corus in 2007. On the other hand, Tata Motors acquired Jaguar Land Rover in 2008.

6. Cyrus Mistry(2012-2016): Cyrus Mistry was appointed the chairman of Tata Group on December 29, 2012. He is the second person not from Tata family to occupy the position. He was replaced by the board of directors on October 24, 2016.