Born French, JRD Tata renounced his French citizenship in 1929 and shifted to India, acquiring Indian citizen

It’s been 78 years since India gained its independence from the British regime, and while 78 years may seem a great deal of time, it isn’t. Yet, India today stands as a tall figure in diverse fields, ranging from automobiles to dairy production. There is no doubt that the Indian government, regardless of changes in the ruling party, has guided the nation on multiple fronts. However, one cannot turn a blind eye to private players who worked relentlessly to make India a superpower.

One such private player is the Tata Group, a family-owned conglomerate with multiple branches, whose sons and daughters have made tremendous contributions to India. One such person was Jehangir Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata, who passed on November 29, 1993, at the age of 89. This month, in his memory, let us look at some of the companies he started for the Tata Group, which helped India and Tata grow together.

Tata Motors

(Credit- Cardekho)

The late JRD Tata was one of the few individuals responsible for initiating the era of industrialisation in India. Among several industries, the most notable one was Tata Motors, which was founded in 1945 as a locomotive manufacturer. Over time, Tata Motors entered the car manufacturing industry, introducing legendary vehicles such as the Indica, Sierra, Sumo, and Nano, and is now one of the world's largest manufacturers. Not to be forgotten, Tata Motors also owns the Jaguar and Land Rover luxury brands.

Tata Airlines

(Credit- Air India Collector)

In 2022, the Tata Group grabbed headlines when it purchased the majority stake of Air India, India’s nationalised air carrier. However, many may not be aware that Air India started as Tata Airlines under the leadership of JRD Tata in 1932. After India’s independence, Tata Airlines was nationalised and renamed Air India. However, after decades of poor service, when the Indian government decided to sell it, the Tata Group chose to repurchase the company.

Titan Industries

(Credit- Titan)

Titan Industries, which started as a watch manufacturer, was also the brainchild of the late JRD Tata, who started it in 1984. Today, Titan offers a wide range of watches, starting from as low as around INR 2,000 to the Titan Nebula Jalsa model, which is worth INR 40 lakh. Tanishq, Caratlane, Titan Eyeplus, and Fastrack are also part of Titan Industries. In January 2026, the journey of Titan will be available on Amazon MX Player as a web series named Made in India: A Titan Story, starring Naseeruddin Shah as J.R.D. Tata and Jim Sarbh as Xerxes Desai.

Lakmé Cosmetics

(Credit- ET Retail)

Last but not least, named after the French opera Lakmé, which is the French counterpart of Lakshmi, Lakmé Cosmetics was also founded by JRD Tata at the request of the erstwhile Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, who was concerned about the foreign exchange spent on beauty products. JRD Tata founded India's first cosmetic brand, which was later acquired by Hindustan Unilever.