Half-sisters, dog Tito, and Shantanu Naidu: Who gets what in Ratan Tata’s will?

Industrialist Ratan Naval Tata passed away on October 9 at the age of 86.

Following his demise, questions continue to arise about his Rs 10,000-crore wealth.

The industrialist, in his will, had portioned his assets to his half-sisters, Shireen and Deanna Jejeebhoy, his brother Jimmy Tata, his devoted butler, and his assistant Shantanu Naidu.

In a rare move, he has also given his pet dog, Tito, a portion of his wealth.

In line with the Tata Group’s custom of giving shares to charity trusts, the Ratan Tata Endowment Foundation (RTEF) is also set to receive a significant portion of his shares.

Unlimited care for Tito

Ratan Tata has included provisions in his will to guarantee his German Shepherd, Tito, lifetime care, as per The Times of India.

While leaving provisions for pets is common in Western countries, similar occurrences are uncommon in India.

Tito, whom Tata adopted five to six years ago after the demise of his former dog with the same name, will be looked after by his long-time cook, Rajan Shaw.

A slice for butler, a waiver for Naidu

Shantanu Naidu, Ratan Tata’s executive assistant, is also mentioned in the will.

Tata relinquished his stake in Naidu’s companionship company, Goodfellows, and waived a personal loan Naidu had taken for overseas education.

The friendship between Tata and Naidu, a young man from Pune who had begun working for a Tata group company, was formed by their mutual affection and concern for dogs.

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After his studies in the US, Naidu was placed in the Office of RNT, the private office of the industrialist, after his stint as Tata Sons Chairperson.

Naidu continued to develop socially important platforms and services outside of his day job of running Tata’s affairs, and his generous boss frequently supported these ideas. One of the most notable of these was Goodfellows, a subscription-based companionship service for elderly people that was launched in 2022.

Additionally, Tata’s well-thought-out plans also benefit Subbiah, his loyal butler of three decades. When Ratan Tata travelled abroad, he was known to purchase high-end clothing for him.

Assets, shares distribution

The ardent philanthropist gave assets to his foundation, his brother Jimmy Tata, and his half-sisters Shireen and Deanna Jejeebhoy.

The will also specify that Tata’s shares in group companies, such as Tata Sons and Tata Motors, will be given to the Ratan Tata Endowment Foundation (RTEF), a charity organisation. The RTEF is anticipated to be led by N Chandrasekaran, the chairperson of Tata Sons.

His startup investments through RNT Associates and RNT Advisers will be sold, and the proceeds directed to RTEF.

Since its inception in 2022, this foundation has provided support to non-profit endeavours and made notable investments, such as acquiring shares of Tata Technologies prior to its 2023 IPO and owning a portion of Tata Digital, the company that operates Tata Neu.

House and cars

The Halekai house in Colaba, where Tata lived till his final days, is owned by Ewart Investments, a division of Tata Sons, and Ewart has not yet made a decision regarding its future.

Tata additionally designed the 2,000 square foot beach bungalow in Alibaug, the future of which remains unsure of.

The two-storey house on Juhu Tara Road in Mumbai was inherited by Ratan Tata and his family — brother Jimmy, half-brother Noel Tata and stepmother Simone Tata — after his father Naval Tata’s death. The home has been empty for more than 20 years, with plans to sell, according to TOI sources.

Tata’s vast collection of 20–30 cars, including expensive models, which are kept at his Coloba residence and Taj Wellington Mews apartment, could be sold at auction or purchased by the Tata Group for its museum in Pune.

To maintain his legacy, the Tata Central Archives will receive a donation of his many awards.

Ratan Tata led the $100 billion Tata Group, yet because of his little personal ownership in group firms, he was never listed among the rich.

It would probably take several months for his will to be finalised when it goes through the Bombay High Court’s probate process.

Executors of the will

To help carry out his final wishes, Ratan Tata has named lawyer Darius Khambata and long-time associate Mehli Mistry as the executors of his will, along with his half-sisters, Shireen and Deanna Jejeebhoy.

Mehli Mistry, Cyrus’s estranged brother, was a confidante of Ratan Tata and a trustee on the boards of the two major Tata charities, the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust and the Sir Ratan Tata Trust, which together own about 52% of Tata Sons. The combined holdings of the Tata Trusts in Tata Sons amount to 66%.

Born on December 28, 1937, Ratan Tata died on October 9 at Breach Candy Hospital in Mumbai, leaving behind a lasting legacy of philanthropy and leadership.

He played a key role in the Tata Group’s expansion from $5.7 billion in 1991 to nearly $100 billion by 2012 while serving as its chairperson from 1991 to 2012 and briefly as interim chairperson in 2016.

With inputs from agencies