The first art gallery of the Tata group was inaugurated in Jharkhand’s Jamshedpur on Friday.

The art gallery, located in the Centre for Excellence, presents a distinguished collection of over 70 artworks by 19 renowned artists. It was inaugurated by Tata Steel CEO and MD T. V. Narendran, in the presence of Tata Steel vice-president of corporate services, Chanakya Chaudhary, and other guests.

The gallery features an array of noteworthy pieces, including select works by M. F. Hussain, Mario Miranda, R. K. Laxman and Paritosh Sen, from a commissioned series created exclusively for Tata Steel. The collection also comprises paintings by Anjolie Ela Menon, R. B. Bhaskaran, Seema Kohli, Jatin Das, Rini Dhumal, Manu Parekh, and Ravindra Salve, which were produced during Tata Steel’s Art-in-Industry camps initiated in 1993.

Spearheaded by Dr Jamshed J. Irani, this initiative has fostered a culture of artistic patronage and promotion in the city of Jamshedpur.

In addition to the artworks on display, the gallery showcases three signature canvases, signed by the artists during the inauguration of the Art-in-Industry camps.

Further, the gallery features comprehensive writeups on each artist along with an insightful brief on the series of artworks on display.

“Overall, the art gallery stands as a testament to the Tata group’s unwavering commitment to artistic expression and cultural preservation. The group, known for building India’s economy, has also contributed to the growth and development of the artistic environment in the country. Tata was the first big corporation to facilitate a new order of Indian art which involved recognising talent, commissioning and promoting work of art,” said a spokesperson of the company.

Tata group had established Progressive Artists Group (PAG) way back in 1948 to pursue a vision of arts in Independent India. Legendary artists such as Walter Langhammer, M. F. Hussain and S. H. Raza were members of PAG. Tatas provided exhibition spaces and pioneered the trend of publishing calendars and diaries with art as their theme. The rich collection of visual arts displayed at Bombay House, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Taj Hotel suites and The National Centre for the Performing Arts, reflects the group’s involvement.

“Tata Steel’s involvement with art began in 1943 as one of the prize-donors of an exhibition-cum-sale of art in the JJ School of Art. It chose to look beyond selling or acquiring paintings. It tried to bring the talent of lesser-known artists to the notice of leading industrialists and patrons of arts,” the spokesperson added.