Innovations and Institutions: The Transformative Vision of JRD Tata

A portrait of JRD Tata, Undated Photo Courtesy: Tata Review, Special Commemorative Issue, 2004

When asked how he would like to be remembered, he simply replied, “As an honest man who tried to do what he thought was right.” This modest yet profound statement by JRD Tata, captured in RM Lala’s Beyond the Last Blue Mountain, epitomises the essence of a man whose visionary approach and foresight have left an indelible mark on the history of the Tata Trusts and India as a whole.

It was in 1932, with his appointment as a Trustee of the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust, that JRD began his remarkable journey of institution building. Each institution established under his guidance carries its own unique story, yet all are bound by JRD’s unwavering belief in their potential to contribute to India's growth.

One of the first projects where JRD played an active role was the Tata Memorial Hospital. Almost entirely funded and managed by the Trust until 1957, this hospital marked the beginning of JRD's visionary approach. During a meeting on November 13, 1937, JRD made a statement that would shape the future of the hospital: “We should treat research almost as important as treatment.” This unconventional thought became a guiding principle for many subsequent projects.

JRD Tata at the foundation stone laying ceremony of the Tata Theatre at NCPA, 1976 Photo Courtesy: NCPA Library, Photograph Collection

In 1934, during discussions about the establishment of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), JRD, once again, emphasised the necessity of fundamental research. In a letter written in 1945, he articulated his vision: “You may perhaps feel that advanced physics, mathematics, astrophysics, are particularly abstract subjects, research in which is unlikely to produce material or practical results within a reasonable period of time. I should, however, like to point out that most of the great practical advances in science, and therefore, in industry, have had their origins in fundamental research, without which they would have been impossible or would have been long delayed.”

The same year, JRD began addressing another core issue that posed a significant threat to India's future: population control. This effort began by encouraging Dr John Matthai to propose the creation of a school for population studies to Health Minister Dr Rajkumari Amrit Kaur. Recognising it as a key factor for the country's development, he became the first national voice to advocate for family planning. He ensured that the Trusts sanctioned grants to NGOs and organisations working towards family planning initiatives. His vision culminated in the establishment of a Demographic Centre for Training and Research in July 1956, which eventually became the International Institute of Population Studies.

Inaugural ceremony of the Tata Memorial Hospital, 1941 Photo Courtesy: Tata Central Archives, published in Indelible Footprints on the Sands of Time by the Tata Memorial Centre

JRD's appreciation for the arts was as strong as his passion for science. This belief led to the formation of the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA), conceptualised by Jamshed Bhabha. The project gained momentum with JRD's support and after animated discussions, the Trustees agreed to fund the NCPA. When Dr Bhabha apologised to JRD for taking up so much of his time, JRD responded, “One day, perhaps, the NCPA’s work may be more important for the country than the work of our steel plants.”

The National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS) was another product of JRD’s deep conviction in the importance of humanities. Established in the 1980s, the inspiration for NIAS can be traced back to JRD’s visit to France in the 1960s, where he observed that over 70% of civil services and scientific institution jobs were held by men trained in France’s Grande Écoles Polytechnique. Years later, feeling the need for an institute in India that included humanities subjects, NIAS was established in Bangalore to address subjects at the intersection of science, social science and humanities.

Group Captain G Leonard Cheshire, a Royal Air Force pilot during the Second World War, once remarked about JRD: "I think zest is the key to understanding JRD's remarkable achievements, zest for whatever he is engaged in, and zest for life in general..." For JRD, excellence was a continuous process. His aim seemed to be that the best must be bettered and his foresight enabled him to look far into the future and shape it, time and again.