Zoroastrianism was once the dominant religion of much of what is now Iran; it is perhaps three thousand years old. With the rise of Islam in Persia, some Zoroastrians fled to the shores of Gujarat in western India. According to one legend, when they asked for permission to stay from the local ruler, he sent them back a full cup of milk to signify that there was no room for new immigrants. The leader of the group returned the milk with some sugar added, and the message, “We will sweeten your community and not take up any additional space.” And so it has been for hundreds of years. Parsis, as these arrivals came to be called, have thrived in India and have created jobs, given back in charity, and set new benchmarks in global business. There are fewer than a quarter million Zoroastrians worldwide, but they have a significant presence in India and their influence is felt by hundreds of millions of Indians daily.
The Tata group of companies is one of India’s largest and most respected business conglomerates, with twenty-eight publicly listed entities and ninety-six operating companies. Its chairman for many years was Ratan Tata, a Parsi. If you deal with India, it won’t be long before you see a Tata car or truck. With $22 billion in sales, the group is a leader in fields as diverse as software services, automobiles, steel, energy, and hospitality. Cyrus Mistry of the Pallonji family, also Zoroastrians, was chairman of the group for several years, until a bitter separation.
Two years before steel magnate Andrew Carnegie gave a million dollars to set up what is now Carnegie Mellon University, the enterprising founder of the Tata group had pledged half of his wealth to create what eventually became the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore. The Tata trusts continue to fund charities of every ilk imaginable, from hospitals to cultural centers and sports groups, and they control 65 percent of the stock of the holding company Tatas Sons. The Tata.com Web site asserts, “The trusteeship principle governing the way the group functions casts the Tatas in a rather unique light: capitalists by definition but socialistic by character.” Socialistic by character: Try finding such words on Donald Trump’s or Warren Buffett’s site. The Indian elephant is unique indeed!
Other prominent Zoroastrian business people include billionaire Adi Godrej, whose companies produce soaps, home appliances, hair dyes, and office furniture. Nusli Wadia is a textile magnate; the Wadia family also runs the Miss India Pageant.
