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“Of all the companies with which I have been concerned,
none has had to overcome so many difficulties compounded with bad luck,
as has been the lot of Tata Chemicals.”
J. R. D. Tata.

The first years of Tata Chemicals were disastrous. An international expert advised J.R.D. Tata that they were in the wrong place doing the wrong job.

The rewarding business was production of soda ash of high quality. The formula and the process were the well guarded secret of about six companies in the world. Tata Chemicals had cracked the code. It was negotiating with a German firm to raise its capacity from 80 to 200 tonnes of soda ash per day.

At that time a thirty-one-year-old chemical engineer called Darbari Seth was asked on his way back from America to visit the German firm. He was not impressed by what he saw. On his return he told the management board that India did not need foreign help. “We can do it. What is more we should aim not at 200 but at 400 tonnes which is the optimum capacity. And doing it ourselves, we shall spend much less than what has been budgeted for the 200 tonnes plant.” He was asked to take over the design, engineering, fabrication and installation of the new equipment and machinery to renovate the Mithapur chemical complex.

To create the soda ash, Seth and his team had to design, engineer, fabricate and erect some twenty process and power plants and then ensure that not only each one of them worked right but all of them worked right together. They worked early mornings and late evenings and the rest of the day too. Once the plant was ready, the team was asked to take on the operation and to demonstrate whether they could produce the 400 tonnes per day. They worked with missionary zeal and in the first fortnight the plant touched a production capacity of 545 tonnes in one day. The breakthrough had come.

“The New India constituted the commencement of a new and large commercial undertaking of India. It is not a Bombay Insurance Company or a Company working solely in India but may claim to be a world-wide company. It is anticipated that a very large proportion of the income in future years will be obtained outside India.”
Sir Dorabji Tata,
to the shareholders in 1921.

Sir Dorabji Tata in association with a number of patriotic businessmen conceived the idea of establishing a great and truly Indian composite insurance company and promoted, through the Tata Industrial Bank, the New India Assurance Company Limited, in 1919, at a time when the Indian insurance business was dominated by foreign companies.

It was the largest among the insurance companies then operating in India. At the time of nationalisation of life insurance in 1956, the Company was writing the following kinds of insurance business: Accident, Aviation, Baggage, Burglary, Capital Redemption on, Cash-in-transit, Contingency, Employer’s Liability, Engineering, Fidelity Guarantee, Fire, Floor, Glass, Life, Lifts, Livestock, Liability, Marine, Motor, Permanent Sickness, Petrol Pumps, Professional Indemnity, Storm and Tempest, Subsidence, Transit and Workmen’s Compensation and had become the largest composite insurer in the East. It was operating in 46 countries outside India. The Company had more than fulfilled the desire of its founder, Sir Dorabji Tata, that it would be a world company deriving a substantial portion of its income from abroad.

The Bombay Plan was "perhaps Mr. J. R. D. Tata's greatest contribution to India."
R. Venkataraman, Vice-President of India,
at the release of the book “Keynote” in 1986.

During the years when the World War II was drawing to a close, the thought engaging J. R. D. Tata the most was the building up of the country’s industrial capacity. Though he did not share Jawaharlal Nehru’s vision of a socialistic state, he was prescient enough to foresee the role of the Government in the planning exercise. He called together industrialists such as G. D. Birla and Kasturbhai Lalbhai, and technocrats such as Dr. John Matthai, Sir Ardershir Dalal and A. D. Shroff and got such an endeavour off the ground. This resulted, in a comprehensive document entitled, “A plan of Economic Development for India, in January 1944.” This plan came to be known as the Bombay Plan, which envisaged a 15 year plan in three five year stages.

“ … Mehri Tata was devoted to all outdoor games; a proficient tennis player,
she was equally at home in all forms of exercise.”
Sir Stanley Reed,
Bombay, April 1932,
Foreword, Lady Tata,
“A Book of Remembrance”.

Meherbai Tata was passionately fond of outdoor life. Games, especially tennis, had a great fascination for her and she could hold her own with expert players.

She always wore her national sari even in tournaments. At Kissengen and Baden-Baden in Germany, besides nearly every important court in India where she was a familiar figure, her pride in her national dress drew an instant response from many a spectator.

When in England she hardly missed a single day at Wimbledon during the tennis tournaments. She played in several tournaments and won over sixty prizes in Mysore, Bombay, Kashmir, Baroda, Matheran, Mahbleshawar and other places in India and Europe.

A diamond in a bank vault is just a diamond.
Sold, and its proceeds intelligently harnessed,
it can enrich the lives of thousands.
R. M. Lala, Heartbeat of a Trust

The 245.35 carat Jubilee Diamond ranks as one of the world”s largest diamonds, twice as large as the Koh-i-noor. It was discovered in South Africa”s famous Jagersfontein mine in 1895 and was cut in 1897, the year Queen Victoria celebrated her diamond jubilee. Hence it was called the Jubilee Diamond.

Dorabji Tata acquired it around 1900 and gave it to his wife Meherbai. She used to wear it during her visits to the royal courts and public functions. The Jubilee Diamond weighing 239 carats was the largest in the world till 1905 till a bigger diamond was exhibited. It was sold only after his death in 1932 and the money went to the formation of the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust.


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	Online Exhibitions JRD Tata's Office Support Us Visit Us Research Newsletters Booklets Documents Images Ephemera Memorabilia Four Partners Family Tree Biographies	WORKING AND GROWING TOGETHER *“Of all the companies with which I have been concerned,* *none has had to overcome so many difficulties compounded with bad luck,* *as has been the lot of Tata Chemicals.”* J. R. D. Tata. The first years of Tata Chemicals were disastrous. An international expert advised J.R.D. Tata that they were in the wrong place doing the wrong job. For the sake of the people as for any other reason the Company had to succeed. The question was: How? The rewarding business was production of soda ash of high quality. The formula and the process were the well guarded secret of about six companies in the world. Tata Chemicals had cracked the code. It was negotiating with a German firm to raise its capacity from 80 to 200 tonnes of soda ash per day. At that time a thirty-one-year-old chemical engineer called Darbari Seth was asked on his way back from America to visit the German firm. He was not impressed by what he saw. On his return he told the management board that India did not need foreign help. “We can do it. What is more we should aim not at 200 but at 400 tonnes which is the optimum capacity. And doing it ourselves, we shall spend much less than what has been budgeted for the 200 tonnes plant.” He was asked to take over the design, engineering, fabrication and installation of the new equipment and machinery to renovate the Mithapur chemical complex. To create the soda ash, Seth and his team had to design, engineer, fabricate and erect some twenty process and power plants and then ensure that not only each one of them worked right but all of them worked right together. They worked early mornings and late evenings and the rest of the day too. Once the plant was ready, the team was asked to take on the operation and to demonstrate whether they could produce the 400 tonnes per day. They worked with missionary zeal and in the first fortnight the plant touched a production capacity of 545 tonnes in one day. The breakthrough had come. NEW INDIA ASSURANCE COMPANY “The New India constituted the commencement of a new and large commercial undertaking of India. It is not a Bombay Insurance Company or a Company working solely in India but may claim to be a world-wide company. It is anticipated that a very large proportion of the income in future years will be obtained outside India.” Sir Dorabji Tata, to the shareholders in 1921. Sir Dorabji Tata in association with a number of patriotic businessmen conceived the idea of establishing a great and truly Indian composite insurance company and promoted, through the Tata Industrial Bank, the New India Assurance Company Limited, in 1919, at a time when the Indian insurance business was dominated by foreign companies. It was the largest among the insurance companies then operating in India. At the time of nationalisation of life insurance in 1956, the Company was writing the following kinds of insurance business: Accident, Aviation, Baggage, Burglary, Capital Redemption on, Cash-in-transit, Contingency, Employer’s Liability, Engineering, Fidelity Guarantee, Fire, Floor, Glass, Life, Lifts, Livestock, Liability, Marine, Motor, Permanent Sickness, Petrol Pumps, Professional Indemnity, Storm and Tempest, Subsidence, Transit and Workmen’s Compensation and had become the largest composite insurer in the East. It was operating in 46 countries outside India. The Company had more than fulfilled the desire of its founder, Sir Dorabji Tata, that it would be a world company deriving a substantial portion of its income from abroad. THE BOMBAY PLAN *The Bombay Plan was "perhaps Mr. J. R. D. Tata's greatest contribution to India."* R. Venkataraman, Vice-President of India, at the release of the book “Keynote” in 1986. During the years when the World War II was drawing to a close, the thought engaging J. R. D. Tata the most was the building up of the country’s industrial capacity. Though he did not share Jawaharlal Nehru’s vision of a socialistic state, he was prescient enough to foresee the role of the Government in the planning exercise. He called together industrialists such as G. D. Birla and Kasturbhai Lalbhai, and technocrats such as Dr. John Matthai, Sir Ardershir Dalal and A. D. Shroff and got such an endeavour off the ground. This resulted, in a comprehensive document entitled, “A plan of Economic Development for India, in January 1944.” This plan came to be known as the Bombay Plan, which envisaged a 15 year plan in three five year stages. MEHERBAI TATA’S PASSION FOR TENNIS *“ … Mehri Tata was devoted to all outdoor games; a proficient tennis player,* *she was equally at home in all forms of exercise.”* Sir Stanley Reed, Bombay, April 1932, Foreword, Lady Tata, “A Book of Remembrance”. Meherbai Tata was passionately fond of outdoor life. Games, especially tennis, had a great fascination for her and she could hold her own with expert players. She always wore her national sari even in tournaments. At Kissengen and Baden-Baden in Germany, besides nearly every important court in India where she was a familiar figure, her pride in her national dress drew an instant response from many a spectator. When in England she hardly missed a single day at Wimbledon during the tennis tournaments. She played in several tournaments and won over sixty prizes in Mysore, Bombay, Kashmir, Baroda, Matheran, Mahbleshawar and other places in India and Europe. THE JUBILEE DIAMOND *A diamond in a bank vault is just a diamond.* *Sold, and its proceeds intelligently harnessed,* *it can enrich the lives of thousands.* *R. M. Lala, Heartbeat of a Trust* The 245.35 carat Jubilee Diamond ranks as one of the world”s largest diamonds, twice as large as the Koh-i-noor. It was discovered in South Africa”s famous Jagersfontein mine in 1895 and was cut in 1897, the year Queen Victoria celebrated her diamond jubilee. Hence it was called the Jubilee Diamond. Dorabji Tata acquired it around 1900 and gave it to his wife Meherbai. She used to wear it during her visits to the royal courts and public functions. The Jubilee Diamond weighing 239 carats was the largest in the world till 1905 till a bigger diamond was exhibited. It was sold only after his death in 1932 and the money went to the formation of the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust.