Who was the first ever Indian industrialist to be honoured with the Bharat Ratna, the country's highest civilian award?

Introduction / Context:
The Bharat Ratna is India's highest civilian award, conferred for exceptional service or performance of the highest order in any field of human endeavour. While many recipients come from politics, arts, science, and social service, very few are industrialists. This question asks which industrialist was the first to receive this honour, an important fact in Indian economic and award related general knowledge.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The award in question is the Bharat Ratna.
• The field is industry and business leadership.
• The options list notable names associated with Indian industrial history.
• We assume basic awareness of the Tata group and other Indian business houses.

Concept / Approach:
The approach is to match the Bharat Ratna recipient list with major industrial leaders. JRD Tata, the long time head of the Tata group, is well known for his pioneering role in aviation, steel, power, and many other sectors, as well as for high business ethics and philanthropy. He was awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1992 and is widely recognised as the first industrialist to receive this honour. The others listed are important industrialists but did not receive the Bharat Ratna before him, if at all.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that the Bharat Ratna is rarely given to industrialists and that JRD Tata is a famous recipient. Step 2: Confirm that JRD Tata was awarded the Bharat Ratna in the early 1990s for his contributions to Indian industry and civil aviation. Step 3: Check each other option and recall whether any of them are known Bharat Ratna awardees. Step 4: Recognise that RK Dalmia, RK Birla, SP Godrej, and Dhirubhai Ambani, although prominent, are not associated with the Bharat Ratna honour. Step 5: Select “JRD Tata” as the first ever industrialist to receive the Bharat Ratna.

Verification / Alternative check:
You can verify by remembering a short list of Bharat Ratna awardees that includes names such as C Rajagopalachari, Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, B R Ambedkar, Lata Mangeshkar, and a few others in music and science. Among business figures, JRD Tata stands out as a unique inclusion. Cross checking with standard GK sources and award lists confirms this fact, reinforcing that he was indeed the first industrialist recipient.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
RK Dalmia: A well known industrialist but not a Bharat Ratna awardee.
RK Birla: Represents a major business family, but no Bharat Ratna was conferred on him as the first industrialist.
SP Godrej: An influential industrialist, yet not the recipient of the Bharat Ratna in this context.
Dhirubhai Ambani: Founder of a major business empire, but did not receive the Bharat Ratna, and certainly not before JRD Tata.

Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes choose any famous industrialist name, especially Dhirubhai Ambani, because of his wide brand recognition. Another common confusion is mixing up different national awards such as Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, and Bharat Ratna. Always distinguish clearly between these honours and remember the unique status of JRD Tata in this specific category.

Final Answer:
The first ever industrialist to receive the Bharat Ratna was JRD Tata.