How an Adoption in 1908 Changed the Fate of Tata Group and Ratan Tata's Life

In his lifetime, Ratan Tata was often compared to Jamshedji Tata and JRD Tata. But what many may find interesting is that Ratan Tata would never have acceded to the Tata throne had his father Naval Tata not been adopted by Navajbai Tata

Former Tata Group chairman Ratan Tata breathed his last in Mumbai’s Breach Candy Hospital at 11:30pm on Wednesday. The industrialist leaves behind a formidable legacy in the corporate world, having a staid group into India’s largest and most influential conglomerate with a string of eye-catching deals.

Given his successes in the business world and the charitable causes close to his heart, Ratan Tata has often been compared to Jamshedji Tata and JRD Tata. But what many may find interesting is that Ratan Tata’s father Naval Tata, who was born on August 30, 1904, was only a distant relative of the Tata business family.

Naval Tata’s father worked as a spinning master at Ahmedabad Advance Mills. In 1908, Naval lost his father at the age of four, following which his mother took him to Gujarat’s Navsari where she started working on embroidery to make ends meet.

In these circumstances, Naval Tata was sent to the JN Petit Parsi Orphanage, where he met Navajbai Tata, wife of Sir Ratanji Jamsetji Tata. Navajbai decided to adopt Naval when he was 13. Following this, Naval Tata was given formal education and he graduated in Economics from the University of Bombay. He then went to London where he enrolled in courses related to accounting.

Naval Tata had often expressed that his experience of living in poverty in early childhood played a crucial role in shaping his character and outlook on life. He believed that this challenging period helped him develop resilience and strength.

Naval Tata had two sons — Ratan Tata and Jimmy Tata — by his first wife Sooni Commissariat. But the couple separated and Naval Tata married Simone Dunoyer, with whom he had another son, Noel Tata.

In 1930, Naval Tata joined Tata Sons, where he worked as a Clerk-cum-Assistant Secretary. He was soon promoted to the Secretary of the Aviation Department in 1933. Following this, he was associated with Tata Mills and other units.

In 1941, Naval Tata became the Director of Tata Sons, and in 1961, he became the Chairperson of Tata Power (then Tata Electric Companies). In 1962, he was appointed Deputy Chairperson of Tata Sons.

Naval Tata was widely recognized for his contributions to social service. He served as the Chairperson of the Sir Ratan Tata Trust, a position he held until the final days of his life. He also played a prominent role as the Chairperson of the Indian Cancer Society.

Naval Tata had a deep passion for sports. He was the President of the Indian Hockey Federation and also got appointed as the Vice Chairperson of the International Hockey Federation.

While JRD Tata wanted to stay away from politics, Naval Tata contested the 1971 elections from South Bombay constituency as an Independent candidate, but lost. Naval Tata was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1969. He died on May 5, 1989 in Mumbai of cancer.

While his father was conferred the Padma Bhushan, Ratan Tata was honoured with the Padma Vibhushan and now there are calls to posthumously honour the icon with the Bharat Ratna.

Much like this father, Ratan Tata had humble beginnings in the Tata Group. Educated at Cornell University in Ithica, New York, Ratan Tata worked on the shop floor at the family-run group after returning to India in 1962.

He gained experience in several Tata Group firms before being named director in charge of one of them, the National Radio and Electronics Co. in 1971.

He became chairman of Tata Industries a decade later and in 1991 took over as the chairman of the Tata Group from his uncle, JRD, who had been in charge for more than half a century.