Lady Meherbai Tata, the daughter-in-law of Tata Group founder Jamshedji Tata, was a woman ahead of her time. She was India’s first feminist activist. In 1924, she became the first Indian woman to compete in tennis at the Paris Olympics, doing so while dressed in a traditional sari. Meherbai’s efforts also led to the creation of the 1929 law banning child marriage in India.
Born in 1879, Meherbai was married at 18 to Sir Dorabji Tata, Jamshedji Tata’s elder son. At a time when women were rarely allowed to step outside the home, she was a visionary and revolutionary. She advocated for women’s education and their right to vote, and fought to abolish the practice of purdah.
Meherbai was also instrumental in saving Tata Group during tough financial times. In 1924, when Tata Steel (then TISCO) struggled due to the Great Depression, she pawned her prized Jubilee Diamond, a gem twice the size of the famous Kohinoor, to help keep the company afloat. This act of sacrifice saved the business and ensured its continued success.
Sadly, Lady Meherbai passed away from leukaemia in 1931 at the age of 52. Her work left a lasting legacy in the form of the Tata Memorial Hospital and the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, funded by the proceeds from the sale of her beloved diamond.
Lady Meherbai remains an inspiring figure for her contributions to women's rights and her role in shaping modern India.
