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  1. 1868
  2. 1874
  3. 1886
  4. 1892
  5. 1903
  6. 1904
  7. 1907
  8. 1909
  9. 1910
  10. 1912
  11. 1917
Jamsetji Tata started his first trading firm in 1868

1868

| The Early Years

29-year-old Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata starts a trading company with a capital of ₹21,000 — the early beginnings of what would one day become the Tata group.

Arrow Jamsetji Tata: The Giant Who Touched Tomorrow
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Empress Mills was set up in Nagpur instead of Mumbai

1874

| The Early Years

In a bold move, Jamsetji establishes a textile mill in Nagpur instead of Bombay — India's textile hub. The Empress Mills experiment would prove to be a stroke of genius.

Arrow Through the Mill
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Empress Mills pioneered many firsts in employee welfare

1886

| The Early Years

Empress Mills pioneers employee welfare initiatives, long before they are enacted by law. 150 years later, the Tata group remains a 'people-first' enterprise.

Arrow People First: Pioneering Worker Welfare
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Freny Cama was selected by JN Tata as the first recipient of the JN Tata Endowment

1892

| The Early Years

Jamsetji establishes the JN Tata Endowment Fund to help Indian students pursue higher studies abroad.

Arrow JN Tata Endowment Fund: Backing The Brightest
Info
Read More Freany Cama, the very first recipient of the JN Tata Endowment, was a doctor.
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1903

| The Early Years

The Taj Mahal Hotel opens for business on December 16. It is one of Jamsetji's many dreams for India, and the only one that would come to fruition in his lifetime.

Arrow Taj Mahal Palace: Diamond By The Sea
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Sir Dorab took over from Jamsetji as Chairman

1904

| The Early Years

It falls to his older son, Sir Dorabji Tata, to bring Jamsetji’s vision to life. He becomes Chairman on Jamsetji’s passing.

Arrow Sir Dorabji Tata: His Father's Son
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Tata Iron and Steel Company (TISCO) was set up in 1907

1907

| The Early Years

Sir Dorab first establishes Tata Iron and Steel Company (now Tata Steel) in remote Sakchi, and builds a hospital for the village, years before the first ingot is rolled out.

Arrow Nerves Of Steel
Tata Limited was the group's first overseas office

1907

| The Early Years

Tata Limited, the group's first overseas office, opens in London. The step marks the beginning of the group's global ambitions.

Info
Read More Tata Limited team outing at Skindles Hotel in Maidenhead, Berkshire, UK, in 1930.
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Jamsetji's idea of a fine institution of science and research came into being in 1909

1909

| The Early Years

The Indian Institute of Science is established through the vision of JN Tata, 5 years after his death. The first batch of students is admitted in 1911.

Arrow IISc: Science With A Soul
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1910

| The Early Years

Jamsetji's dream of bringing clean energy to Mumbai by establishing Western India's first hydro plant, is brought to life by Sir Dorab. Tata Power is born this year.

Arrow The Power Of Dreams
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Sir Ratan Tata was a lifelong philanthropist

1912

| The Early Years

Moved by widespread poverty in India, Sir Ratan Tata, Jamsetji's younger son and a philanthropist, funds research into its causes at the University of London.

Arrow Beyond Business: Sir Ratanji Tata

1912

| The Early Years

India's first planned industrial city springs to life in Sakchi. In 1919, it is rechristened Jamshedpur to honour Jamsetji, who first envisioned the township.

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TOMCO marked the group's entry into the consumer goods space

1917

| The Early Years

The group makes its consumer space debut with Tata Oil Mills Co (TOMCO), known for popular soap brands, Hamam and Moti. It is sold to Hindustan Lever in 1984.

Arrow Next: The Growth Years (1918-1968)
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