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JEHANGIR RATANJI DADABHOY TATA
          JEHANGIR RATANJI DADABHOY TATA
                                    (1904 – 1993)
                                    (1904 – 1993)
                            Jehangir Ratanji   to become an Officer and then go to
                            Dadabhoy Tata   Cambridge where a seat was reserved for
                            (J.R.D.), was the   him. But his father called him back to
                            son of Ratanji  India.
                            Dadabhoy Tata
                            and his French  J.R.D. joined
                            wife Sooni. His  Tatas in 1926.
                            father Ratanji  He received his
                            Dadabhoy Tata   grounding in
                            (R.D.), was a   business from a
         J.R.D. Tata, circa 1958. FROM THE
                                      a n d
                            c o u s i n
                                            methodical ICS
                            colleague
                                        of
                                            (Retd.) Officer
                            Jamsetji Tata,
                            Founder of the  c a l l e d  J o h n  Sooni with her five children,
                                             was given a
                                            Peterson. He 1917.
                            House of Tata.
        R.D. and Sooni  had five children, Sylla,  small desk in a corner of Peterson’s room
                                            and every single paper going to his desk
                        COLLECTION
        Jehangir, Rodabeh, Darab and Jimmy.  was routed through J.R.D. After a few
                                            months with Peterson, R.D. suggested
        On July 29, 1904, their second child, a  that  J.R.D. spend a year in Jamshedpur to
        son, was born in Paris. They gave him a   understand the working of the steel
        Persian name Jehangir “Conqueror of the    company. In 1926, after his father’s
        World”.                             death J.R.D. at 22, found himself as the
                                OF THE
        J.R.D. was educated in France, Japan and   Head of the family. He inherited his
                                            father’s position as a permanent Director
        India. He also attended an English  of Tata Sons.
        Crammer School in order to improve his
        to the Regiment de Spahis. At the end of    At the age of 15, J.R.D. was taken on his
        English. After school, he joined the
                                            first flight in Nothern France. Ever since
        French Army for a year and was assigned
                                            then he was determined to fly a plane. He
    TATA CENTRAL ARCHIVES
        his training in 1925, he intended to
                                            was the pioneer of civil aviation in India.
                                            He was the first pilot to qualify in India
        continue to serve  for a further six months
                                            holding Private Licence No. 1 from March
              R.D.  and Sooni Tata, circa 1903.  1929.
                                            In the 1930’s, a daring Englishman called
                                            Nevill Vintcent came to India and
                                            travelled the country offering joy rides in
                                            a small plane. He suggested to J.R.D. that
                                            they start an airline. That was J.R.D.'s
                                            dream too. John Peterson persuaded Sir
                                            Dorabji Tata, the then Chairman of the
                                            House of Tata, to agree. Thus, Tata Air
                                            Lines was launched as a division of Tata
                                            Sons.
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