Sir Dorabji Tata’s statue. Picture by Bhola Prasad

Jamshedpur, Aug. 28: Tata Steel celebrated the 150th birth anniversary of Dorabji Tata, the first and the longest-serving chairman of the company, at Dorabji Tata Park here today.

The company’s managing director, B. Muthuraman, executive director (India & South East Asia) H.M. Nerurkar and president of Tata Workers’ Union Raghunath Pandey offered floral tributes to the leader’s statue.

Though the birth anniversary of Dorabji Tata was on August 27, the officials could not celebrate it as they were in Mumbai for the annual general meeting.

“We celebrate the founders’ day amid fanfare but we do not celebrate Dorabji’s birthday in such a grand manner. He was the man to shape the steel industry. He was the first chairman who held the position for 25 years — that too in the most difficult times when the country was under colonial rule,” said Muthuraman, the chief guest.

Dorabji, the elder son of JN Tata, was also known as a philanthropist for his dedication to the company and sports. It is said that when steel prices stumbled after World War I, there was not enough money to pay his workers’ wages. Dorabji pledged his entire personal fortune worth about Rs 1 crore, including his wife’s personal jewellery, to obtain a loan to pay the workers.

He was also the first president of the Indian Olympics Association as he financed the Indian contingent to the Paris Olympiad in 1924 when the government had no funds.

He also established the Lady Tata Memorial Trust in fond memory of his wife Meherbai Tata, who died of leukaemia in 1931. The trust was established to promote research into various diseases related to blood. In 1932, he established a trust fund to be used for the advancement of research, disaster relief and other humanitarian purposes. This trust came to be known as the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust. Dorabji is said to have invested all his assets and wealth in this trust.

“We need to institutionalise his name. Tata Steel will try to do so through every activity it takes up in the future. People should know his contribution for which we are here today,” said Muthuraman.

The raw material division of Tata Steel in Jamadoba, West Bokaro and Noamundi also celebrated Dorabji Tata’s anniversary.