Navajbai Tata

Some Lesser Known Facts About Navajbai Tata

• Navajbai Tata was an Indian philanthropist and industrialist whose’s grandson is Ratan Tata, the ex-chairman of the Tata Group.

• Her ancestors came to India from Iran as refugees.

• She married Ratanji at the age of fifteen.

• Since Ratanji and Navajbai did not have any kids, she adopted Naval Tata from an orphanage.

• Following Ratanji’s passing away in 1918, Sir Ratan Tata Trust (SRTT) was founded. Navajbai played an important role in its formation.

• Navajbai and Ratanji were avid art lovers. The duo had a massive and expensive collection of jade, paintings, and historical artefacts. The collection was given away by Navajbai Tata to the Prince of Wales Museum in Mumbai following the demise of her husband.

• She played a pivotal role in the completion of the construction of the Bombay House, which was started by Ratanji Tata.

  

• She became the first woman director of Tata Sons in Mumbai in 1925; she remained in the post till her passing away in 1965.

• She also served as the Bombay Parsi Panchayat’s board member.

• With the intent of assisting Parsi women in need, Navajbai Tata founded Ratan Tata Institute (RTI) in Mumbai in 1928. The institute not only gave free of cost education and housing to the women but also helped them in finding suitable employment. She assumed the post of Ratan Tata Institute’s chairperson in 1932.

  

• Ratan Tata and his brother Jimmy Tata were brought up by Navajbai following the divorce of Naval Tata and Sooni Commissariat in 1948.

  

• She breathed her last on 20 August 1965 in Bombay (now Mumbai) due to age-related causes.

• When an NGO requested her to financially help it, Navajbai not only gave the NGO her mansion “Homestead” in Matheran, Maharashtra but also donated Rs. 3 lacs to them.

• Navajbai Tata and Ratanji spent the majority of their married life in England, where the couple maintained a friendly relationship with King George V and Queen Mary.

• Navajbai Tata was an expert equestrian and used to participate in polo tournaments. She was amongst the few Indian women who started playing polo.