Tata's
Contribution to Bombay's Development
By Tribhuwan N. Bhan
Some years ago, I read an article
in Reader's Digest, written by
an English journalist who
travelled to India on an
assignment. I am hereby reproducing
whatever I can recollect of that article.
To make the language simple, I am
writing the matter in first person.
I boarded an Air India plane at
Heathrow airport, my destination was
Bombay. While the plane taxied on the
runway, I thought of Mr. J.R.D.Tata who
had started this Airline under the name
Tata Airlines in 1932. This Airline had
one single engine plane
which carried mail between
Bombay and Karachi. Mr.
J.R.D. Tata used to pilot the
plane and his navigator was
one Mr. Vincent. After a flight
which stopped at various
places enroute, we landed at
Bombay's Santacruz airport.
At the airport I boarded a
coach manufactured by the
Tata's in collaboration with a
German automobile
company. The coach took me
to Taj Mahal hotel at apollo
Bunder. This five star hotel
was built by Jamshedji Tata.
Those days it was the first five
star hotel in Bombay.
After checking in at the
hotel I went to my room. Had a
refreshing bath with Hamam soap
manufactured by the Tata Chemicals,
Scrubbed my hair with Tata Shampoo.
I dried myself with a thick towel and
wore a comfortable shirt. Both these
articles were
manufactured by Tata
Textiles.
After resting for the
day, the next day I visited
T.I.F.R (Tata Institute of
Fundamental Research)
at Colaba. From Colaba
accompanied by a guide
we came to churchgate and boarded a
local train for Dadar. From dadar we
went to the Tata Cancer Hospital and
Cancer Research Centre at Parel.
The Local trains in Bombay, which
are supposed to be the life
line of Bombay get their
power supply from Tata's,
who use "unified islanding
system". It is due to this
system that Tata's supply
uniterrupted power to trains,
hospitals, refineries, water
supply systems, airports,
ports and stock exchange.
On my way back from the
suburbs to my hotel we
stopped at the R.T.I. (Rattan
Tata Institute) for delicious
snack. R.T.I. is a training
institute for chefs and
seamstresses. Then I visited
Tata Institute of Social
sciences at Chembur, a
suburb of Bombay.
After visiting all the Tata
establishments in Bombay, I left for
Jamshedpur in Bihar. This township
was built by Jamshedji Tata who set up
a plant to manufacture iron and steel.
The Local
trains in
Bombay,
which are
supposed to
be the life line
of Bombay get
their power
supply from
Tata's, who
use"unified
islanding
system".
This visionary felt that no country can
progress without manufacturing iron
and steel. All different forms of heavy
industry are absolutely dependent on
iron and steel. The township has the
Tisco plant and residential quarters for
thousands of its employees. This
establishment is a tribute to the vision
of the great Indian Jamshedji Tata. His
vision was further developed into a vast
industrial empire by his descendants
like Naval Tata, J.R.D. Tata and now
Ratan Tata.
As I left Bombay to board a plane from
Santacruz airport for London, I thought
of the contribution made by the Tata's in
various fields like civil aviation, chemicals,
education, hospitals, medical research,
industrial development, manufacture of
automobiles, social work etc.
Source: Milchar
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