Jamshedpur: Nowroji Saklatvala was born on September 10, 1875. His father was Bapuji and his mother, Virbaiji Tata, was the sister of Jamsetji N Tata. He was educated at St. Xavier’s School and College, Bombay (now Mumbai).
In 1899, he joined the Swadeshi Mills as a clerk. Within twenty years, he became the head of the firm.
He served as the Chairman of several Tata group companies including TISCO (now Tata Steel), Tata Hydro Electric Power Supply Company (now Tata Power), Associated Cement Companies (now known as ACC Limited) and New India Life Insurance Company. He was also the Chairman of Imperial Bank of India. He was one the board members of the Bombay Port Trust. As chairman of Tata Steel, he contributed significantly towards the profit-sharing scheme for the employee welfare.
Upon the death of Sir Dorabji Tata, he was elected as chairman of Tata Sons in 1932. As Chairman of Sir Dorabji Tata Trust, he encouraged and supported several charitable institutions.
He became a Companion of the Order of the Indian Empire (C.I.E) in 1923 and was knighted in 1933. He was a member of the Bombay Legislative Council and represented the Council during the Bombay Legislative Assembly in 1922.
Being an ordained priest, he followed a simple lifestyle. An ardent sports fan, he was the Chairman of the Cricket Club of India, Parsi Gymkhana and Bombay Presidency Olympic Association. He was the vice president of Bombay Hockey Federation. The magnificent Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai was built under his guidance.
Nowroji Saklatvala passed away at Aix-Les-Bains, France on July 21,1938, during his tour to Europe.
Tata Steel remembers Sir Nowroji Saklatvala on his 146th Birth Anniversary!
