Jamsetji Tata Tops Greatest Philanthropist of All Time List with $102B Donation
Jamsetji Tata was the founder of Indian conglomerate Tata Group and is the father of Ratan Tata. He recently topped the Greatest Philanthropists of all Time List.
Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata – Great Philanthropist & Pioneer of India
Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata was an Indian industrialist, founder of the Tata Group and established a city named Jamshedpur. He is named the “Father of Indian Industrialism” and was also one of the noted philanthropists. He is known for founding the vast industrial empire in India and world. Jawaharlal Nehru regarded him as the “One Man Planning Commission”. Today we will study the legacy of this legendary Indian and will remember him.
“In a free enterprise, the community is just another stakeholder in business but is, in fact, the very purpose of his existence” – Jamsetji Tata
Jamsetji Tata – Statistics
Full name: Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata
Nationality: Indian
Date of Birth: 3rd March 1839
Date of Death: 19th May 1904
Place of Birth: Navsari, Gujarat, India
Place of Death: Bad Nauheim, Grand Duchy of Hesse, German Empire.
Jamsetji Tata was born in Navsari, Gujarat, India on 3rd March 1839. He was from a Parsi family and was born to Nusserwanji and Jeevanbai Tata. His family was a part of a group of Parsees who fled the Zoroastrians Arab Muslim and came to India. He came from a poor priest family. His father Nusserwanji was a businessman and was the first person to start a business in their family. He started a business with his father at the tender age of 14. He first started exporting in Mumbai.
Jamsetji Tata – Personal Life
Jamsetji Tata was married at a very young age. He was married to Hirabai Daboo while he was only 16 years old and she was only 10 years old. They have two children named Ratanji Tata and Dorabji Tata. They succeeded the Tata Group. Jamsetji Tata pursued his graduation from Elphinstone College in the year 1858. He was a green scholar during his times
Jamsetji Tata – Early Career & Training
Jamsetji Tata started working with his father at the tender age of 14. He started the exporting importing business after his graduation.
Jamsetji went to Hong Kong to expand his father's Tata business in 1859. The Tata office was established there and it was regarded as the first milestone
In 1863, more offices were set up in China and Japan.
He also had a motive to set up an Indian Bank in London but it failed disastrously and The Tata Company endured a huge amount of loss.
Jamsetji Tata – Business Career
He worked with his father till the age of 29. He found a trading company in 1868.
He had Rs. 21,000 capital from which he bought his oil mill in the year 1869 at Chinchpoki which he converted into a cotton mill and named it as "Alexander Mill".
Later in the year 1874, he wanted to establish a Spinning, Weaving, and Manufacturing Company in Nagpur. Therefore his decision to establish the industry led him to success.
In the year 1877, he established a new cotton mill named "Empress Mill". This was named as Empress as Queen Victoria was made the empress at that time
He inaugurated the Taj Mahal hotel at Colaba on 3rd December 1903 which was the First hotel to have electricity in India
He bought Dharamsi Mills in Bombay and renamed it, Advance Mills, Bombay.
He was a great supporter of Swadeshism and later named his mill the Swadeshi Mill.
Tata was the one who first introduced the ring spindle in his mills.
He has emerged as the biggest philanthropist of all time. He has donated over USD 102 billion. He has been the biggest philanthropist much ahead that of Bill Gates and Melinda Gates. In the list of 50 global philanthropists collated by Hurun Research and EdelGive Foundation, he is considered the only Indian on the list.
He donated mainly to healthcare and for educational needs from the Tata income. The philanthropic value of Tata Group is up to 66 percent of Tata Sons.
Tata’s Legacy: The village in which the Tata's iron and steel plant was set up was Sakchi village in Jharkhand. The railway station near the village is named Tatanagar and the village Sakchi is renamed as Jamshedpur in honor of Jamsetji Tata.
Jamsetji Tata – Achievements
Tata Iron and Steel Company Limited) - It is the first steel company to be established in Asia and is one of the largest steel companies. It is regarded as the 5th largest company in the world and it also acquired the Corus group which produces 28 million tons of steel per year
Indian Institute of Science (IISC) which is in Bangalore. It is an institution for research and science.
Tata Power Company was originally named Tata Hydroelectric Power Supply Company.
Jamsetji Tata – Death
Tata died on 19th May 1904. He suddenly fell ill on a business trip to Germany. Tata was buried in a burial ground in Brookwood Cemetery, Woking, England.
Jamsetji Tata – India’s Biggest Industrialist
So, this was all about Jamsetji Tata and his story. He was a pioneer industrialist, patriot, and philanthropist. Even after being extremely successful in the industry, his generosity and compassion made him one of the biggest philanthropists of all time. He acquired the skill of entrepreneurship and the nationalist in him bought success to his business which not only enriched him but the entire country. These characteristics make him one of the most unique and extraordinary figures of all time.
Soha Habib
With over a decade of writing obituaries for the local paper, I have a uniquely wry voice that shines through the newest collection of essays on the importance we place on a legacy. I see myself in the top management in some marketing/advertising firm. BTW, my primary domain is Humanities & I also like geography, exploring, travelling, & food.
