Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata was born in 1839, and in his lifetime India remained
firmly under British rule. Yet the projects he envisioned laid the foundation
for the nation's development once it became independent. More extraordinary
still, these institutions continue to set the pace for others in their
respective areas. For, among his many achievements are the Indian Institute of
Science in Bangalore, which has groomed some of the country's best scientists,
the Tata Steel plant in Jamshedpur, which marked the country's transition from
trading to manufacturing, his pioneering hydro-electric project, and the Taj
Mahal hotel in Mumbai, one of the finest in the world.
In these as in