The first pilot in India (1929), honorary doctorate from numerous universities, `International Management Man’, recipient of the Knight Commander’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (1978) and Commander of the Legion of Honour of the French Government (1983), Honorary Fellow of Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), and Aero-Medical Society of India, Honorary Member of Institution of Industrial Engineering (India) and Honorary Air Vice-Marshal of Indian Air Force (1974), JRD Tata had also received India’s highest civilian honour, Bharat Ratna (1992). Winner of United National Population Award (1992) and of numerous other awards and honours from academy, industry, commerce and public life, JRD was an exceptionally versatile and hard-working man who changed, for ever, the face of Indian industry (aviation in particular), commerce and business and social life to secure for the country a niche in the community of nations. Truly a `citizen of the world’, as Oliver Goldsmith would have put it, Tata helped in the promotion of Indian Science.

Tata was an eminent Industrialist, Chairman Emeritus of Tata Sons and Director of a number of Companies in the Tata Group.