# JRD Tata on wealth: Money stinks when piled, grows when spread 2026-08-09T04:47:52+00:00 | Business & Economy | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Jehangir Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata, former chairman of Tata Sons, famously compared money to manure, saying it 'stinks when you pile it; it grows when you spread it.' He used the analogy repeatedly in conversations, letters and meetings to explain the Tata Group’s philosophy of corporate social responsibility. JRD Tata, born in 1904, founded Air India in 1932 as Tata Air Mail and led the group for over five decades, expanding into chemicals, automobiles and IT. He argued that hoarded wealth stagnates and causes corruption, while investing or sharing it creates jobs and builds communities. ## Coverage - businesstoday.in Tags: corporate social responsibility, JRD Tata, philanthropy, Tata group, wealth inequality Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/jrd-tata-on-wealth-money-stinks-when-piled-grows-when-spread/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/jrd-tata-on-wealth-money-stinks-when-piled-grows-when-spread/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.