Today, India has a flourishing aviation industry, and it has reached many heights in the air transport sector. No pun intended. It all stemmed from the varying interests of a man named JehangirRatanjiDadabhoy Tata. He is known as the father of aviation in India. Indians were introduced to the airline industry due to the efforts of this man. The origin of our ability to check the Mumbai Delhi flights schedule somewhere lies nested in the interests of JRD Tata.
A history of interests-
- JRD Tata lived a life that was surrounded by various interests and influences. His varied interests take root in the French and Indian cultures he was introduced to since birth. His French mother and Indian father gave him the best of both worlds- the French Legion of Honour and the Bharat Ratna.
- The overriding passion in JRD Tata’s life was aviation, despite being the chairman of a successful multi-millionaire business empire. JRD Tata’s role model was the French piloting ace Louis Bleriot. Louis Bleriot was the first man to cross the English Channel by air. When JRD Tata was 15, Louis asked a co-pilot to give him a ride and that strengthened the base of JRD Tata’s dreams.
- JRD Tata got his license to fly in 1929 when he moved to India. He was the first Indian to do so.
- He competed for the Aga Khan Trophy which was awarded to an Indian flew solo from India to England. However, JRD Tata’s good candor brought him a few hours shy of winning. He ended up helping a competitor with a spark plug and ultimately lost. But JRD’s determination remained undeterred as he set up Tata Airlines in 1932, which was the first commercial airline to transport passengers and mail within the country.
- The office consisted of a small palm-thatched hut along the Juhu Airstrip. The magnificent inaugural flight was between Karachi to Madras (Chennai), as JRD Tata himself piloted the plane and delivered mail from Karachi to Bombay via Ahmedabad with the aid of a single-engined De Havilland Puss Moth. Tata Airlines carried 155 passengers and 10 tonnes of mail and covered a distance of 160,000 miles.
- In 1946, Tata Airlines was converted to Air India. After the Independence of India, the government took 49% of the company and provided itself with an option of acquiring an additional 2%. JRD had suggested that he must head the international front of Air India, while the domestic flights were handled by the GOI. After 5 years, the GOI took over the majority stake of the company and even though the company had undergone nationalization, JRD Tata remained in charge of Air India until 1978.
- JRD went on to prove his love for aviation even further. He won various laurels in the aviation field such as the Tony Jannus Award in 1979, and the Edward Warner Award by the International Civil Aviation Award in 1986. He propagated his vision and determination for a flourishing aviation industry in India by becoming the Chairman of IATA during 1957-58. His impact on aviation has been pivotal in the history of aviation in India.
