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For the Love of India: The Life and Times of
Jamsetji Tata
Born in 1839 in an orthodox Zoroastrian family, Jamsetji, "a man who saw tomorrow", had many firsts to his credit. He not only gave to the country iron and steel and hydroelectric power, but also made fine cotton when everyone else was making coarse yarn and revived the silk industry in the South. In 1877, he set up Empress Mills, to make cotton cloth. It was the first major industrial enterprise in the Central Provinces, and was also the first to make several innovation, both technical and in human resource management. As early as 1873, he was toying with the idea of using hydroelectric power for his mill, something that was unheard of even in the West. It was Jamsetji’s dream of establishing an institute of higher learning that took shape, after his death, as the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. But the greatness of the man lay not in pursuing to fulfilment his own goals but in showing the way to others and in inspiring them to hold on to his dreams after his death. This biography, which RM Lala says was meant to fill in the gaps in earlier biographies of Jamsetji, is a comprehensive and highly readable account of the life of the man who lived through a time that shaped the destiny of India and whose life paralleled momentous events in the country’s history. JRD Tata: Keynote In the Foreword, JRD Tata says that he tried to dissuade his colleagues in Tatas from publishing a book of excerpts of his speeches because doing so "would induce a lot of kind people who had done me no harm to pay for being bored." Thankfully, his advice was "brushed aside", as he says, "an old man’s usually is," and what we have here is a collection of excerpts from JRD’s speeches and statements made as Chairman of Tata Iron and Steel Company to shareholders. Contrary to JRD’s apprehensions, the book is far from boring. Edited by SA Sabavala and RM Lala, this delightful collection affords a glimpse of the genius and geniality of the man. Made over a period of more than 50 years, these speeches cover a wide range of subjects, from economic issues to industrial relations to JRD’s love for aviation, his concern for social conditions in the country and his vision for a strong and vibrant India. JRD’s also talks of his association with Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Vallabhbhai Patel, Jayaprakash Narayan, and Homi Bhabha. His razor-sharp
intelligence, uncommon wit, undying optimism and crystal-clear vision
are evident in each of the speeches. What comes through is not just the
ideas of the most successful industrialist in India, but also the vision
of a dedicated leader whose concerns extended beyond his own welfare and
that of the people close to him.
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The
book is a fascinating account of the life of an extraordinary man.
"A man of destiny", as JRD Tata called him, Jamsetji Tata not
only built an unparalleled personal wealth but was also one of the
builders of modern India. His conviction that India must change from a
predominantly agricultural nation into an industrialised one, put the
country on the road to modernisation.