Tata Steel celebrates the legacy of Sir Dorabji Tata with immersive sports exhibition in Kolkata

The event honoured his enduring contributions to nation-building, industrial development and the growth of organised sports and the Olympic movement in India.

The highlight of the celebration was an immersive sports exhibition conceptualised, designed and created by Tata Steel, featuring rare memorabilia, archival photographs and sporting artefacts.

The exhibition brought alive Sir Dorabji Tata’s pioneering vision for Indian sport, including his role in personally financing India’s participation in the 1920 Antwerp Olympics, enabling the country to send its first-ever Olympic contingent. He also played a pivotal role in establishing the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and served as its first President in 1927. The exhibition also served as a precursor to the IOA’s centenary in 2027.

The event was jointly inaugurated by Ashish Anupam, Vice President, Marketing & Sales, Tata Steel, and Indrajit Bose, President, Tata Employees’ Union. The sporting artefacts have been curated by renowned sports historian Boria Majumdar.

Following the exhibition walkthrough, a panel discussion titled “A Celebration of Sports” featured sports historian Boria Majumdar, Olympian archer and Arjuna Awardee Rahul Banerjee, former international athlete and Arjuna Awardee Soma Biswas, and Praveen Shrivastava, Chief of Marketing & Sales, Branded Products & Retail, Tata Steel.

The panel discussed the evolution of Indian sport and Tata Steel’s enduring commitment to nurturing sporting excellence and building a strong sports ecosystem.

Sir Dorabji Tata’s legacy extended beyond sports. As the leader of Tata Steel, then known as TISCO, he steered the company through challenging times, including World War I, when Tata Steel supplied approximately 2,90,000 tonnes of steel. During the Great Depression, he pledged his personal wealth, including the famed Jubilee Diamond, to safeguard the company and protect the livelihoods of its workforce. His remarkable legacy thus spanned sport, industry and nation-building, reflecting his unwavering commitment to institution-building and the larger national interest.

The celebration highlighted how Sir Dorabji Tata’s pioneering efforts laid the foundation for India’s sporting aspirations more than a century ago, while reaffirming Tata Steel’s continued commitment to supporting sporting talent and promoting excellence across disciplines.