A Tale, In Two Cities

The Tatas have kept their long history well documented

- Rachna Tyagi

IN NAVSARI, ONE of the oldest towns in Gujarat, Jimmy Darabsha Khan, 76, welcomed us to Jamsetji Tata’s birthplace. The freshly-painted bungalow in Dasturwad stands out on what can become a bustling street, depending on the time of the day. Khan, a Parsi, returned to Navsari—after working 53 years with Tata Group—to take care of the founder’s birthplace, which has been converted into a state-of-the-art museum.

Humata, Hukhta, Hvarshta (good thoughts, good words, good deeds)—a crest with this motto adorns the entrance. A bronze statue of Jamsetji greets us on entering the house. A walk around the museum not only shows the room where Jamsetji was born, but also gives detailed accounts of a life well lived and his many unimaginable journeys—seeking advice from friend Dadabhai Naoroji for raising capital for a steel company, or his meeting with Swami Vivekananda on a voyage to the US, where they exchanged views about a research university in India.

However, the Tata story, though it traces its beginnings to Navsari, can be understood in totality only in another city—Pune, the cultural capital of Maharashtra. In a leafy lane on Mangaldas Road stands the Tata Central Archives, the only green-certified archive in the world. The place attracts many visitors and research students. All new Tata employees, including Tata Administrative Services officers, are encouraged to visit at least one ongoing exhibition here. “There are many people who do not know about our company. So here, our own employees tell them about our history,” says Rajendra Prasad Narla, archivist at Tata Central Archives.