What is common between Kolkata's Howrah bridge, Mumbai's Taj Mahal Hotel, Bangalore's Indian Institute of Science and Air India's Maharaja? The answer is the Tatas. The year 2004 is of special significance to the Tata group as it commemorates the death centenary of Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata, the founder of the Tata group. The year also marks the birth centenaries of J.R.D. Tata and Naval Tata. The House of Tatas is being celebrated in "The Century of Trust" exhibition at the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore.

The exhibition highlights the contribution of this illustrious family and showcases the entrepreneurial spirit that has contributed immensely towards building the nation over the last century. Inaugurated recently by President Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, the exhibition being held at the Entrepreneur-ship Centre of the IISc tries to encapsulate the Tata group's pioneering role in leadership, excellence and entrepreneurship. The Tatas, who took education seriously, founded the IISc in 1911 which boasts of illustrious alumni like C.V. Raman, Homi Bhaba and M. Visvesvaraya.

At, the start of the exhibition, one is ushered into a reproduction of the Navsari house where  J.N. Tata was born. The audio-visual clip takes you back to the era when the Union Jack held sway  and there was unrest in the country. J.N. Tata put his best foot forward with the Empress Mills, named in honour of Queen Victoria who had been coronated then. At the mill, J.N. Tata not just  proved that India was at par with Manchester in terms of technological advancement, but he also introduced many concepts of human resource benefits such as a creche and pension schemes.

The Tatas left no stone unturned in making their presence felt in every walk of life. From the  National Centre for Performing Arts to the National Institute of Advanced Studies, from  alternative medicine and cancer research to agricultural training for the visually challenged and fundamental research, the Tatas have emerged winners all through. The exhibition also informs you of lesser known facts about the Tatas. Did you know that the Tatas have an experimental fruit 
farm in Bangalore?

Or that they grow Egyptian cotton in Sind? Interesting trivia will catch your eye as you walk through what seems like a seamless journey through time. For instance, the exhibition informs you  that George Bernard Shaw, Gregory Peck, George Harrison, John Lennon and Phil Collins have all been guests at the Taj Mahal hotel in Mumbai. The exhibition has been beautifully executed and  has quite efficiently faced the challenge of encompassing an ocean of achievements without tedious detailing thereby holding your interest.

Large flat screens with audio-visual clips and touch screens with presentations are dotted across the various stages of the exhibition. You also have guides who take you through the exhibition explaining each stage of the achievements. In the coming weeks, The Century of Trust exhibition will travel across the country to other cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Pune and of course, Jamshedpur.

What is really striking is the way the history of the country is woven into the history of the Tatas making you realise that the growth of both entities was simultaneous and interdependent. What you really miss is a glimpse into the personal lives of this renowned industrial family. However, the exhibition is worth a leisurely visit as it does give more than an insight into one of the most enterprising families of the country.