Ratan Tata: A Tribute

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Ratan Tata was a prominent Indian industrialist and philanthropist, who also served as the former chairman of the Tata Group. He was known for his significant contributions to business and his philanthropic efforts. Ratan Tata passed away at the age of 86. His death was confirmed on October 9, 2024, after being admitted to Breach Candy Hospital in Mumbai due to age-related health issues, where he was kept in the ICU.

Ratan Tata’s Biography

Ratan Tata: Birth, Age, Family, and Education

Ratan Tata was born on December 28, 1937, in Bombay, British India (now Mumbai) to Naval Tata and Soonoo Commisariat. When he was 10 years old, his parents divorced, and he was adopted by his grandmother, Nawazbai Tata, through the J.N. Petit Parsi Orphanage. Ratan Tata was raised alongside his half-brother, Noel Tata.

Ratan Tata received his education at Campion School, Mumbai; Cathedral and John Connon School, Mumbai; Bishop Cotton School, Shimla; and Riverdale Country School, New York City. He is also an alumnus of Cornell University and Harvard Business School, where he laid the foundation for his career.

Read Also: Biography of Jamsetji Tata

Ratan Tata Becomes Chairman of Tata Sons

When J.R.D. Tata resigned from the chairmanship of Tata Sons in 1991, he named Ratan Tata as his successor. Ratan Tata faced strong resistance from the heads of several companies who had run their businesses for decades. He began a process of bringing in new people by setting a retirement age and made it mandatory for every company to report to the group office. Under his leadership, the overlapping companies of Tata Sons were streamlined into a coordinated form.

During Ratan Tata’s 21-year tenure, the company’s revenue grew over 40 times, and profits increased more than 50 times. He inspired the acquisitions of Tata Tea by Tetley, Tata Motors by Jaguar Land Rover, and Tata Steel by Corus, transforming the Tata Group from a largely India-centric organization into a global business.

He also conceptualized the Tata Nano car, aimed at making it accessible to the average Indian consumer.

Upon completing 75 years of age, Ratan Tata resigned as chairman of Tata Sons on December 28, 2012. Cyrus Mistry was named his successor but was removed by the board on October 24, 2016, leading to Ratan Tata being appointed interim chairman of the group.

A selection committee was formed to choose Ratan Tata’s successor, which included Venu Srinivasan, Amit Chandra, Ronen Sen, and Lord Kumar Bhattacharya. This committee appointed Natarajan Chandrasekaran as chairman of Tata Sons on January 12, 2017.

Additionally, Ratan Tata invested his personal savings in Snapdeal, TBox, CashKaro.com, and contributed to Ola Cabs, Xiaomi, Nestaway, and Dogspot.

Ratan Tata’s Philanthropic Work

Ratan Tata has been a strong advocate for education, healthcare, and rural development. He supported the Faculty of Engineering at the University of New South Wales to improve water availability in challenging areas.

Tata Education and Development Trust

The Tata Education and Development Trust established a $28 million Tata Scholarship Fund to provide financial assistance to undergraduate students from India at Cornell University. This annual scholarship will assist about 20 students.

Harvard Business School

The Tata Group companies and Tata charities donated $50 million to Harvard Business School (HBS) in 2010 to build an executive center.

Carnegie Mellon University

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) donated $35 million to Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) for research in cognitive systems and autonomous vehicles. This is the largest donation ever given by a company, resulting in a building named TCS Hall.

Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay

In 2014, the Tata Group donated ₹950 million to the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, leading to the establishment of the Tata Center for Technology and Design (TCTD), the largest donation in the institute’s history.

Neuroscience Center

The Tata Trusts also provided a grant of ₹750 million to the Neuroscience Center at the Indian Institute of Science to study the underlying mechanisms of Alzheimer’s disease and develop methods for its early diagnosis and treatment.

MIT Tata Center

Moreover, the Tata Group established the MIT Tata Center for Technology and Design at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to address the challenges faced by resource-constrained communities, with an initial focus on India.

Through all these efforts, Ratan Tata has worked to bring about positive change in society, demonstrating his philanthropic vision and leadership.

Ratan Tata’s Wife

In 2011, Ratan Tata stated, “I came close to marrying four times, but each time I backed out due to fear or some reason.” While working in Los Angeles, he fell in love with a girl, but had to return to India because a family member was ill. Her parents did not allow her to go to India. Tata remained firm in his commitment and has remained unmarried to this day.

Awards

Ratan Tata has received numerous notable awards and honors. Some of them are listed below:

Ratan Tata’s Death

Ratan Tata passed away on October 9, 2024, at Breach Candy Hospital in Mumbai due to age-related health issues. He was under observation in the ICU for a few days prior to his passing. His family announced his death and noted that he was deeply committed to his work and philanthropy throughout his life.

Legacy

Ratan Tata’s life was characterized by dedication to the improvement of society and the well-being of the Indian community. He has left behind a legacy of leadership, vision, and commitment to the advancement of education and healthcare in India and beyond.

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