Ratan Tata’s Adoption Story: The Origins of the Surname ‘TATA’

Ratan Tata, the renowned industrialist, embodied the spirit of 86 spring seasons, always sporting a smile reminiscent of pleasant weather. He passed away around 11 PM on October 9 at Breach Candy Hospital in Mumbai. While Ratan Tata was born to Naval Tata, the secretary of the Aviation Department at Tata Sons Group, it’s surprising to learn that before Naval, none of his ancestors had any connection to the surname ‘Tata,’ not even any prominent businessmen.

Ratan Tata was born on December 28, 1937, just two years after Naval Tata became the joint managing director of Tata Mills. At that time, Naval’s father, Hormusji, worked as a spinning master at the Tata Group’s Advance Mills in Ahmedabad but had no ties to the Tata family. A significant turning point in Naval’s life occurred in 1917, and his story is quite remarkable.

Early Life and Challenges

Naval Tata was born on August 30, 1904, into a middle-class family in Mumbai (then Bombay). Tragically, his father passed away when Naval was just four years old, plunging the family into a financial crisis. Following this loss, Naval and his mother relocated from Mumbai to Navasari, Gujarat, where job opportunities were scarce. To support the family, his mother began a small embroidery business, barely making ends meet while worrying about Naval’s future.

A Fortunate Turn of Events

Naval’s luck changed when he was sent to the JN Petit Parsi orphanage for education and support. There, he completed his primary education. At the age of 13 in 1917, Navajbai, the wife of Sir Ratan Tata (the son of the renowned industrialist and philanthropist Jamshedji Nasarwanji Tata), visited the orphanage. She was impressed by Naval and decided to adopt him, thus integrating him into the Tata family and granting him the surname ‘Naval Tata.’

Rise in the Tata Group

After joining the Tata family, Naval Tata’s fortunes began to improve. He had always excelled academically, graduating in Economics from Bombay University before studying accounting in London. In 1930, at the age of 26, Naval Tata joined Tata Sons Group as a Clerk-cum-Assistant Secretary. His career progressed rapidly, leading to promotions.

By 1933, he had moved to the Aviation Department as Secretary and later served as an executive in the textile unit. In 1939, he became the Joint Managing Director of Tata Mills, and two years later, he was appointed as a director at Tata Sons. In 1961, Naval Tata took on the role of chairman of the Tata Electric Company, and the following year, he became the deputy chairman of Tata Sons.

A Life of Service

Reflecting on his past, Naval Tata once stated, “I am grateful to God that he gave me the opportunity to experience the pain of poverty. This shaped my character more than anything else in the later years of my life.” In 1965, he assumed the chairmanship of the Sir Ratan Tata Trust, dedicating the remainder of his life to social service.

Personal Life

Naval Tata married twice; his first wife was Sooni Commissariat, with whom he had two children, Ratan and Jimmy Tata. The couple divorced in 1940. In 1955, he married Swiss businesswoman Simone Dunoyer, and they welcomed a son, Neol Tata. Naval Tata battled cancer and passed away on May 5, 1989, in Mumbai (Bombay).