(This piece was first published on 3 March 2015 and is being reposted from The Quint’s archives to mark Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata’s birth anniversary.)
The history of Tata is intermingled with India’s history.
Jamsetji Tata, founder of the Tata Group is known as the father of Indian industry. He created Tata Steel, set up hydroelectric power projects, and built several great institutions, including the Indian Institute of Science. He would have been 178 years old today.
Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata was born on 3 March, 1839, in Navsari, a small town in Gujarat, into a family of Parsi priests. He was broad built, his voice gravelly.
Jamsetji was well read. His day began with an early morning walk, followed by breakfast at 9 am. He would spend the next couple of hours studying and reading.
At noon he would leave for work in his horse carriage to the Navsari Building in Bombay. At 6 pm he would leave for one of his clubs. Needless…