Born on August 27, 1859, Sir Dorabji Tata was the eldest son of Tata Group founder, JN Tata. Dorabji received his primary education at Proprietary High School, Mumbai after which he was sent to England where he was privately tutored. At the age of 18, he joined the Gonville and Caius College at Cambridge. Abiding by the wish of his family, Dorabji returned to India in 1879 and enrolled himself in St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai.

Dorabji started out as a journalist with the ‘Bombay Gazette’ and in 1884 he made his first entry into his father’s business by joining the cotton division. Throughout his lifetime, he worked for the realisation of his father’s vision and his cousin RD Tata supported him in this mission. The two prime companies established by Sir Dorabji Tata ‘Tata Steel’ and ‘Tata Power’ are an integral part of the Tata Group industries today. Under the leadership, the Tata Group expanded from three cotton mills and the Taj Hotel Bombay to becoming the largest private sector steel company in India. During his tenure, an integrated steel plant, three hydroelectric power companies, a large edible oil and soap company, two cement companies and the aviation unit pioneered by JRD Tata took wing. Dorabji also established the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore, India and was knighted in 1910 for his contributions to industry in British India.

Sir Dorabji Tata’s love for sports reflected through his philanthropic activities. In 1919, he facilitated four athletes and two wrestlers to participate in the Antwerp Games. As President of the Indian Olympic Council, he financed the Indian contingent to the 1924 Paris Olympiad and went on to become a member of the International Olympic Committee.

Dorabji Tata established the ‘Lady Tata Memorial Trust’ in fond memory of his wife Meherbai Tata who had died of leukemia in 1931. The Trust was established in order to advance the study into various diseases related to blood. In 1932, he established a trust fund, to be used "without any distinction of place, nationality or creed," for the advancement of learning and research, disaster relief, and other humanitarian purposes. This trust came to be known as the ‘Sir Dorabji Tata Trust’. It is believed that Sir Dorabji invested all his assets and wealth into this trust. Notable amongst his other deeds is the sizeable donations he gave to the University of Cambridge for setting up of laboratory equipment and also for the establishment of a Chair for Sanskrit studies at the ‘Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute’, Pune. Dorabji is also known to have presented many of his paintings and artwork to the Prince of Wales Museum in Mumbai.

Sir Dorabji Tata breathed his last in Bad Kissingen, Germany on June 3, 1932 and is buried alongside his wife in the Brookwood Cemetery, England.

Born on July 29, 1904 in Paris, Jehangir Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata or JRD Tata was the son of RD Tata and his French wife Sooni. Educated in France, Japan and England, he was drafted into the French army for a mandatory one-year period and could not extend his stint even though he wanted to. JRD entered the Tata Group as an unpaid apprentice in December 1925.

At 22, soon after his father passed away, he was on the board of Tata Sons, the Group's flagship company. In 1929, aged 25, he surrendered his French citizenship to embrace the country that would become the central motif of his life. In the same year on February 10, JRD became the first Indian to pass the pilot's examination and got his license, which bore on it Number 1. JRD was instrumental in giving wings to India by building Tata Airlines, which ultimately became Air India - India's first international airline. His passion for flying also led him to establish Tata Aviation Service in 1932 and he was instrumental in bringing commercial aviation to India.

One of the most enterprising Indian entrepreneurs of all times JRD is credited with placing the Tata Group on the international map. At the age of 34, in 1938, JRD was elected Chairman of Tata & Sons, making him the youngest head of the largest industrial group in India. During his tenure, the group expanded into diverse fields such as chemicals, automobiles, tea and information technology. Breaking with the common practice of having members of one's own family run different operations, JRD urged the board to bring in professionals to the table and he transformed the Tata Group into a business federation where entrepreneurial talent and expertise were encouraged.

He received the Padma Vibhushan in 1957 for his remarkable contribution to the aviation industry, the Guggenheim Medal for aviation in 1988 and was awarded India's highest civilian honor - the Bharat Ratna - in recognition of his selfless humanitarian endeavors, in 1992. In the same year, JRD Tata was also bestowed with the United Nations Population Award for his crusading endeavors towards initiating and successfully implementing the family planning movement in India, much before it became an official government policy.

During his tenure, JRD initiated a program of closer "employee association with management" to give workers a stronger voice in the affairs of the company. He also pioneered the system of developing ‘employee welfare schemes’ and steered the principles of an eight-hour working day, free medical aid, workers' provident fund and accident compensation schemes, which were later, adopted as statutory requirements in India. Under JRD’s aegis, in the year 1979, Tata Steel instituted a new practice; a worker is deemed to be "at work" from the moment he leaves home for work till he returns home from work. Hence the company is financially liable to the worker if any mishap takes place on the way to and from work. JRD stepped down from his position as Chairman, Tata Sons in 1991, to hand over the baton to Ratan Tata and passed away on November 29, 1993, in a Geneva hospital.

BJ Padshah played an essential role in the negotiation with the government to obtain the first railways order for the company. His commitment towards work was commendable and still stands as an inspiration to the company. During WWI Mr Padshah personally investigated the government orders and made sure that they were dispatched on time. Mr Padshah also closely supervised the laying down of the township at Jamshedpur, the educational facilities given to the people, the introduction of technical education and many such civic issues.

John Peterson was an ICS officer before he joined Tata Steel as the Director-in Charge. Mr Peterson played a pivotal role in protecting the Indian Steel from unfair competition from foreign steel companies. He served in the position of DIC from 1924 to 1931 and acted as a guide and mentor to JRD Tata when he was in Tata Steel in 1925.

Sir Ardeshir Dalal was serving in the Indian Civil Services before joining Tata Steel as Director-in-Charge in 1931. Honored with knighthood in 1939, the agents’ office in Calcutta (now Kolkata) was opened in 1931-32 during his tenure.

JJ Ghandy joined the Tata Steel family in 1917. He was appointed as the General Superintendent of the Tata Steel Works in 1930 where he served for approximately seven years before taking up the responsibilities of DGM in 1937. Mr Ghandy was the first Indian to become the General Manager of Tata Steel in 1938. He served the position till 1944 after which, he became an agent of Tata Steel in Kolkata. Mr Ghandy was honored with a knighthood by the King of Britain in 1945.

Shavak Nanavati joined Tata Steel as a graduate trainee in 1932 and was promoted to the post of General Superintendent in 1954. In 1960, he was handed the responsibility of Deputy General Manager and in 1961, Mr Nanavati took over as the General Manager of the company. He became the Director-in-Charge of Tata Steel in 1968 and went on to become the MD of the organisation in 1970 after the abolition of the Managing Agency System.

RS Pande left the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) to join Tata Steel on loan from the Government of Bihar and was appointed the Director of Personnel. Mr Pande became an agent of the company in 1959 and also took up the position as a Director in Tata Industries Private Limited in 1964. He also served as the Managing Agents and Resident Director (Administration) of Tata Steel in the same year. After the abolition of the Managing Agency system in 1970, Mr Pande was appointed a whole-time Director of Tata Steel and became the Managing Director of Tata Steel in 1972.

Russi Mody joined Tata Steel in 1939 and made his first internal shift into the newly established Personnel Division in 1947. He was promoted to the position of Director of Personnel in 1953 and in 1955 he became the Deputy Agent in Kolkata. Mr Mody took up the position of the Director of Raw Materials in 1965. In 1970, he was appointed as Director of Operations and in 1972, he became the Joint Managing Director. Mr Mody has also served as the Chairman of Tata Steel from 1984 to 1993.

Russi Mody joined Tata Steel in 1939 and made his first internal shift into the newly established Personnel Division in 1947. He was promoted to the position of Director of Personnel in 1953 and in 1955 he became the Deputy Agent in Kolkata. Mr Mody took up the position of the Director of Raw Materials in 1965. In 1970, he was appointed as Director of Operations and in 1972, he became the Joint Managing Director. Mr Mody has also served as the Chairman of Tata Steel from 1984 to 1993.

It was under TW Tutwiler’s guidance that the first expansion project of the company was initiated, in 1916. Mr Tutwiler was well known for his tough personality and his risk-taking attribute. When the steel industry went through a recession phase it was his leadership that kept the company steadily sailing.

CA Alexander served Tata Steel as the General Manager for five years and during his tenure several measures were taken to protect the India steel company from unfair foreign competitions. The company also witnessed its last ever strike during the time of his leadership.

JL Keenan came to India in 1913 and worked as a foreman in the blast furnaces of TISCO before being promoted to Assistant Superintendent of the Open Hearth section. During his tenure, Mr Keenan moved within several departments. He held the position of a Superintendent in the Duplex Plant and later, in the blast furnace department too. In 1926 he graduated to the rank of General Superintendent and four years later he became the GM of the company.