From pioneers, JRD Tata to Ratan Tata, Noel Tata, know Tata Group makers who build company into brand, meet its younger generation

From pioneers to JRD Tata, Ratan Tata, Noel Tata, we get to know Tata Group makers

95-year-old Simone Tata, stepmother of industrialist Ratan Tata, passed away at Breach Candy Hospital in Mumbai on Friday morning, December 5. Tata Trusts Chairman Noel Tata’s mother was a major fashion mogul as the woman behind the famous Indian cosmetics brand Lakme. He left behind a legacy that has filled the lives of millions of people.

Simone Tata not only lived but also spread the decades-long prestige, work and legacy of the Tata Group, a globally recognized, multi-billion dollar conglomerate. Founded by Jamshedji Tata, the Tata Group started by revolutionizing the textile industry. A vast empire across many sectors, taking over products ranging from steel to automobiles, hospitality and telecommunications, the Tata Group has become more than just a household name in India. While the late Ratan Tata is the most respected and well-known family, the rich lineage of the Tata family is worth knowing.

Who was Simone Tata?

Born in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1930, Simone first visited India as a tourist in 1953 and later studied at the University of Geneva. She married Naval H Tata in 1955 and started her career at the Tata Group in the early 1960s. He stood out as the only Tata family member to attend Cyrus Mistry’s funeral in 2022, a notable gesture considering the tense relationship between the Tata family and Mistry.

Jamsetji Tata

Tata’s founder invested more than business profits into his company, which aimed to produce for the welfare of the people, signaling a strong and independent face against the tyrannical British. He created a conducive working environment and even envisioned a city for their well-being. He founded the company in 1868.

Hirabay Daboo

Jamsetji Tata’s beloved wife and visionary entrepreneur Hirabai Daboo has contributed greatly to the progressive conglomerate in India. The two raised a family beyond the business and welcomed notable sons, Dorabji Tata and Ratanji Tata, who would later take the group to new heights.

Dorabji Tata

He played a key role in realizing his father’s visions, further expanding the Tata Group while also contributing to philanthropic work. He was born in 1859, received his primary education in Bombay and continued his education in England. After returning to India, Jamsetji joined Tata’s business and demonstrated remarkable leadership in challenging times and safeguarded the future of the company.

Meherbai Bhabha

Meherbai Bhabha is the wife of Dorabji Tata, born in Bombay in 1879 to Hormusji J. Bhabha, was a pioneering Parsi figure in England. After completing her education at the age of 16, Bhabha focused more on herself by studying on her own. In 1898, Meherbai married Dorabji Tata. Meherbai was extremely dedicated to advocating women’s education and fighting social injustices such as child marriage and untouchability. But his death in 1931 marked the end of his legacy of empowerment.

Sir Ratan Tata

Sir Ratan Tata was born in 1871 and carried out Tata’s philanthropic work for the welfare of the poor. His philanthropic work included support for Gopal Krishna Gokhale’s India Servants’ Association and Mahatma Gandhi’s anti-apartheid movement. After being knighted in 1916, he left much of his fortune to philanthropic endeavors, culminating in the establishment of the Sir Ratan Tata Foundation in 1919.

In 1892, Sir Ratan Tata married Navajbai Sett, younger daughter of Ardeshir Merwanji Sett. Navajbai Sett was the pioneer female Director who took over the leadership after the death of her husband in 1925. Navajbai dedicated herself to the welfare of underprivileged women by establishing the Ratan Tata Institute.

JRD Tata

JRD Tata (1904-1993) joined Tata Sons, the holding company of the Tata Group, in 1925. He became a Director of Tata Sons in 1926. In 1938, at the age of 34, he took over as Chairman of Tata Sons and transformed the Tata Group into a global conglomerate with interests in steel, automobiles, chemicals and more. He also founded Tata Motors, Tata Chemicals and Tata Consultancy Services (TCS).

Ratan Deniz Tata

Ratan Naval Tata, born in 1937, is the most well-known name of the Tata Group. During his 22 years of leadership, he took the Tata Group to new heights, during which time he expanded the group’s legacy with the acquisitions of Tetley, Corus and Jaguar Land Rover. He even diversified the firm’s portfolio by strengthening the group’s presence in IT, steel, automobiles and consumer goods. He focused on innovation, sustainability and social responsibility but earned more respect in the hearts of Indians for his philanthropic work.

Noel Tata

Ratan Tata’s half-brother Noel Tata is a leading figure in Indian business with a unique blend of Indo-Parsi and French-Catholic heritage. He has three children, Neville, Leah and Maya, and is actively involved in various Tata Group companies. Noel Tata leads Trent and Tata Investment Corporation and is also linked to Tata International, Titan Company and Tata Steel, strengthening the Tata family’s presence in India’s business landscape.

Their children will carry the Tata legacy forward.