Three years before independence, in January 1944, a document was published which created panic in the British government. This document contained a comprehensive action plan for the economic development of India and later it came to be known as the ‘Bombay Plan’. A total of 8 people had written this plan together. Among them were JRD Tata and GD Birla, two famous businessmen of that era, hence the scheme got the nickname of ‘Tata-Birla Scheme’. Harish Bhatt writes in his book ‘Tata Stories’ published by Penguin that in fact, this was India’s first national economic plan.
The then Viceroy of India, Lord Wavell, was so troubled by the ‘Bombay Plan’ that he immediately wrote a letter to the Foreign Secretary in London. In the letter he said, ‘The economic plan of Rs. 10,000 crore for India has created a stir…’ In another private secret letter in May 1944, he wrote, ‘I have seen that the Bombay Plan has been published under the Penguin series. Sir Gregory’s idea is that we should prepare a rival pamphlet and circulate it through the Indian Office.
Who were the 8 people who made the plan?
Harish Bhatt writes that eight Indian entrepreneurs and technology experts came together to create an economic plan for their beloved nation. Among them was JRD Tata, who had taken over the responsibility of Chairman of Tata Group 8 years ago. Famous industrialist GD Birla, ten years older than JRD, was also a part of the team. Apart from Tata-Birla, Lala Shriram, a progressive Indian entrepreneur and chairman of Delhi’s DCM Group, Kasturbhai Lalbhai, an Ahmedabad-based entrepreneur and educationist, and Purushottam Das Thakurdas, a Mumbai-based businessman, were also part of the Bombay Plan.
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Along with these five entrepreneurs, three brilliant technocrats of the Tata Group, Sir Ardeshir Dalal, Eddie Shroff and Dr. John Mathai, also became part of the Bombay Plan.
What plan was made that angered the British?
So what was there in that plan that so stunned the British government? In the initial phase, this committee held detailed discussions on the economic future of the country, but later it was decided that everyone should put forward their views in a logical and public form through the published plan. JRD Tata used to give the credit of this ideological change to GD Birla. The committee considered every aspect which was important for the progress of independent India. For example, the Bombay Plan said that despite India being an agricultural country, a large population is not getting enough food to eat.
drew a blueprint for the country’s progress
He made a balanced nutritious diet of 2600 calories per person per day a part of the planning. Which included grains (16 ounces), pulses (3 ounces), vegetables (6 ounces), fruits (2 ounces), milk (8 ounces). It was calculated that to provide this nutrition to India’s 38.9 crore population at that time, an annual expenditure of Rs 2100 crore would be required.
On the other hand, the Bombay Plan, after determining the total requirement of ten thousand crore rupees for food, clothing, housing, education and industries, also identified various sources of funds which could be used. Interestingly, it had chosen the country’s reserves, especially gold reserves, as the first source of funds.
Leftists had turned against
Harish Bhatt writes that the Bombay Plan was made for the next 15 years and was very original. At that time it was believed that the British would leave India as soon as the Second World War ended and the government of independent India would be free to implement this plan. However, a section of Indians were equally troubled by this plan as were the British. Especially Gandhi’s followers felt that this was against Gandhiji’s values. The leftists considered this plan half-baked and came up with a plan of their own in response.
Nehru did not implement
The country became independent on 15 August 1947, but the first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru did not take the Bombay Plan seriously. Many years later, in the year 1986, the then Vice President of India (who later became the President) R. Venkatraman remembered the Bombay Plan as a major contribution of JRD Tata.
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Tags: Bombay, independence, Jawaharlal Nehru, Tata
FIRST PUBLISHED: March 25, 2024, 11:01 IST