Number of words: 171

Meanwhile, always on the lookout to launch unique projects, Jamsetji, on a visit to France, found that the weather was similar to that of Bangalore and Mysore and brought back a few silkworms to try breeding them in India. Silkworm breeding was an old tradition he wanted to revive. At that time, silkworm breeding used to take place in Moradabad, but Jamsetji, dissatisfied with its quality and shine, wanted to create the best silk in Mysore province.

Buying large parcels of land in Bangalore and Mysore, he set up the Tata Silk Farm organization and encouraged farmers to try silkworm breeding. He also managed to bring down experts from Japan and took care of their hospitality so that they would stay on and provide training to the farmers. Not many people would know that the origin of the famous Bangalore-Mysore silk sarees lies in the silken touch provided by Jamsetji’s efforts and passion.

Excerpted from Pg 18-19 of Tatas: How a family built a business and a nation by Girish Kuber