"Her legacy will live on in the generations she inspired,” read the tribute to academician Dr Armaity Desai on the official Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) social media page. Desai passed away on September 27, 2025 at the age of 91.
"Prof Desai’s passing is a huge loss for Indian academia and particularly the TISS family. It is giants like her who gave the institute direction,” Badri Narayan Tiwari, vice chancellor told The Times of India on September 28.
Dr Armaity Desai: dedicated researcher
Desai, who earned her doctorate in social work from the University of Chicago in 1969, began her illustrious career as a lecturer at Bombay University. She later mentored scores of students during her 25-year stint as vice principal and principal of the College of Social Work, Nirmala Niketan of the SNDT (Shreemati Nathibai Damodar Thackersey) Women’s University (1957-82) before moving to TISS where she was appointed director (1982-95). She was also chairperson of the University Grants Commission (1995-99) where with clarity she shaped policies for years of transformation.
Recipient of myriad awards, when she received the Laadli of the Century Award on October 10, 2024, Parsiana had reported: "Desai underlined how her parents, Tehmina and Sapur Desai, afforded her and her brother Xerxes, founder director of Titan Industries, with equal opportunities for personal freedom, outside-the-home activities and learning experiences. ‘This is as much my award as all my colleagues’ but for whose efforts many activities and projects could not have been on the ground or matured,’ she was quoted in a press release on the event. Desai added that her role model was her mother who ‘freed herself from cultural bindings, much to her father’s chagrin but her mother’s support.’”
Desai led a team of dedicated researchers from TISS to survey the Parsi community over several years which resulted in the four-volume The Parsis of India: Continuing at the Crossroads, published in 2017.
Sapur, trust secretary at the Bombay Parsi Punchayet, wrote the seminal book History of the Bombay Parsi Punchayet (1860-1960) while Xerxes helmed the Tata Group firm, Titan. S. V.