Suzanne RD Tata (nee Brière, 1880–1923), also known as Sooni Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata, was the French wife of Indian businessman

Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata (R.D. Tata, 1856–1926) was an Indian businessman who played a pivotal role in the growth of the Tata Group in India. He was the first cousin of Jamsetji Tata, a pioneering industrialist and the founder of Tata Sons. He w ...

. She is known for being the first woman in India to drive a car, in 1905. She was born in Paris. She married businessman

, chairman of the

Tata Group The Tata Group () is an Indian multinational conglomerate headquartered in Mumbai. Established in 1868, it is India's largest conglomerate, with products and services in over 150 countries, and operations in 100 countries across six continent ...

, a member of the

Tata family The Tata family is an Indian business family, based in Mumbai, India. The parent company is Tata Sons, which is the main holding company of the Tata Group. About 65% of the stock in these companies is owned by various Tata family charitable trus ...

, soon after he began to learn French, and they were married in Paris in 1902. At the time of her marriage, she converted to

Zoroastrianism Zoroastrianism is an Iranian religions, Iranian religion and one of the world's History of religion, oldest organized faiths, based on the teachings of the Iranian peoples, Iranian-speaking prophet Zoroaster. It has a Dualism in cosmology, du ...

from Christianity and began to be known as Sooni, or Soona. The couple had five children Rodabeh,

Jehangir Nur-ud-Din Muhammad Salim (30 August 1569 – 28 October 1627), known by his imperial name Jahangir (; ), was the fourth Mughal Emperor, who ruled from 1605 until he died in 1627. He was named after the Indian Sufi saint, Salim Chishti. Ear ...

, Jimmy, Sylla, and Dorab. Her son Jehangir, known as J. R. D. Tata, took over his father's business, while one of her daughters, Sylla, was married to businessman

Sir Dinshaw Maneckji Petit, 3rd Baronet ''Sir'' is a formal honorific address in English language, English for men, derived from Sire in the High Middle Ages. Both are derived from the old French "Sieur" (Lord), brought to England by the French-speaking Normans, and which now exist i ...

, brother of

Rattanbai Petit Rattanbai Jinnah (''née'' Petit; 20 February 1900 – 20 February 1929), also known as Ruttie Jinnah, was the wife of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, an important figure in the creation of Pakistan and the country's founder. Additionally, Rattanbai Petit ...

, the wife of

Muhammad Ali Jinnah Muhammad Ali Jinnah (, ; born Mahomedali Jinnahbhai; 25 December 1876 – 11 September 1948) was a barrister, politician, and the founder of Pakistan. Jinnah served as the leader of the All-India Muslim League from 1913 until the ...

. Suzanne Brière made her first flight in an aeroplane in 1913 and died in 1923. In the early 20th century, Tata had some difficulties in reconciling her French and Indian identities.Ian H. Magedera, `Désorienter l'Orient et les orients désorientés: Said, Derrida et le paradoxe du GPS' in Jean-Pierre Dubost and Axel Gasquet (eds), ''Orients désorientés'' (Paris: Éditions Kimé, 2013), pp. 33-55,

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tata, Suzanne RD 1880 births 1923 deaths French emigrants to India Indian Zoroastrians Converts to Zoroastrianism from Christianity