Number of words: 302

Jamsetji Tata was lucky as far as his sons were concerned; Dorabji and Ratanji were both illustrious in their own ways. Dorabji spent his life completing the projects his father had either dreamt of or started, be it the steel factory, hydroelectric project or the IISc. Jamsetji had dreamt these three big dreams, which were duly fulfilled by Dorabji.

Ratanji was different. He was a diehard romantic, with a pointy beard, sharp nose and dreamy eyes. Art, sculpture, archaeology, these kinds of subjects interested him. He stayed on the outskirts of London at Richmond upon Thames, in a stately home called York House. He had a stature of his own among the well-heeled of London society. Dorabji was busy adding to the industrial and national wealth, while Ratanji would give the wealth a social standing. Amongst the Tatas, the idea of social welfare was most intensely present in Ratanji Tata. He was inspired by Gopal Krishna Gokhale.

The two brothers, influenced by different philosophies, worked for the benefit of the nation. While the elder was keen to contribute to the national GDP and improve its wealth, the younger was of the belief that the country needed a more aware social consciousness. Ratanji firmly believed in giving all his time and effort for the cause of Bharat Sewak Samaj, the Servants of India Society, formed by Gokhale. His contribution to the society was publicly acknowledged by Gokhale in 1909.

Ratanji supported Gokhale in many areas. One of Gokhale’s disciples who was to benefit from Ratanji’s largesse was Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. While Gandhi, then not yet known as Mahatma, was fighting apartheid in South Africa, Ratanji supported him with a whopping contribution of ` 1.25 lakh!

Excerpted from Pg 45 of Tatas: How a family built a business and a nation by Girish Kuber