 "Goodbye Ratan Tata: The life and legacy of India’s ‘most loved businessman’")
“Thank you for thinking of me,” posted Ratan Tata on social media on Monday (October 7), debunking reports of him being unwell and rushed to hospital. However, on Wednesday night (October 9), the former Tata Group chairman — one of India’s most powerful and admired magnates — breathed his last in a Mumbai hospital. He was 86.
Shortly after the news broke of Tata’s demise , condolences from all corners — politicians, sport stars, businessmen, celebrities — poured in. PM Narendra Modi in his tribute described the noted industrialist as a visionary business leader, compassionate soul and an extraordinary human being. “One of the most unique aspects of Shri Ratan Tata Ji was his passion for dreaming big and giving back. He was at the forefront of championing causes like education, healthcare, sanitation, and animal welfare to name a few,” he said on X.
The Maharashtra government in paying tribute to Tata, declared Thursday to be a day of mourning and also announced that he would be accorded a state funeral.
As the country and even the world bid adieu to this doyen of the business world, here’s a look back at Ratan Tata’s life and the legacy that he leaves behind.
Tata’s early years
Born December 28, 1937, Ratan Tata was the eldest son of Naval Tata and Sooni Tata. As part of the respected and well-known Tata family, Ratan studied at some of India’s finest schools and then went to the US, where he got a degree in architecture at Cornell University.
After his parents separated when he was 10, Ratan Tata was brought up by his grandmother Lady Navajbai, who instilled in him a sense of dignity and a strong moral centre. Speaking of his parents’ separation, he had once revealed that things weren’t always easy as he faced “a fair bit of ragging and personal discomfort”.
However, his grandmother was always at his side. He credited her for teaching him dignity. “Soon after when my mother remarried, the boys at school started saying all kinds of things about us—constantly and aggressively. But our grandmother taught us to retain dignity at all costs, a value that’s stayed with me until today,” he said, on how he would walk away from such situations, which otherwise we would have fought back against.
When he went to the US, he was enchanted by the American life. He learned how to drive and fly planes. He even considered settling down in Los Angeles, but his grandmother’s deteriorating health brought him back to India in 1962.
The rise from Telco to beyond
On his return to India, he received a call from his uncle JRD Tata, asking him to join the Tata Group. “He was the greatest mentor… he was like a father and a brother to me - and not enough has been said about that," Tata once said about JRD in the past.
He was then sent to Telco — now Tata Motors — working on the factory floor. In the ’70s, he was tasked with two of the group’s ailing firms. While he attained success with the first — making radios and televisions, it was a mixed bag with the second, which created textiles.
In 1991 came Ratan Tata’s crowning moment; JRD named him successor to the Group, with many at the time questioning the choice. Ratan Tata speaking on it said, “If you were to find the publications of that time, the criticism was personal — JRD got clubbed with nepotism and I was branded as the wrong choice.”
But it seems that the “wrong choice” was, in fact, the right one. He took it from being a $5 billion conglomerate to a $100 billion company in 2012 when he retired. He made bold acquisitions — acquiring Anglo-Dutch steelmaker Corus, UK-based car brands Jaguar and Land Rover and British tea giant Tetley.
In 2022, the Tata Group once again took ownership of Air India , the flagship carrier.
Such was the empire he built that middle-class India couldn’t avoid Tata goods and services. They drink Tata tea, watch television through Tata Sky, drive in Tata cars and use a countless number of products made from Tata steel.
Not without controversy
Ratan Tata’s empire hasn’t come without controversy though. When he took over the Tata Group, he raised eyebrows when he sacked leaders, including Russi Mody of Tata Steel, Darbari Seth at Tata Chemicals, and Ajit Kelkar of Indian Hotels Co. There was also the Tata Tapes scandal.
There was also the political battle in West Bengal linked to Tata Motors’ famed Nano car. The project to build India’s cheapest car at Rs 1 lakh never achieved commercial success, with Tata later admitting it was a “huge mistake to brand Nano as the world’s cheapest car. People don’t want to be seen driving the world’s cheapest car!”
But the one event that could be called a blemish on his reputation would be the sacking of Cyrus Mistry , who had been chosen by a selection panel to head the Tata Group. Mistry was the chairman of the group from 2012 to 2016. Ratan Tata was appointed as interim chairman for four months during which a search committee will scout for a replacement.
Amid this spat, both sides exchanged allegations. Mistry was also removed as Chairman of several companies, including TCS, Tata Steel, Tata Teleservices and Tata Industries.
Ratan Tata — the philanthropist and dog lover
Beyond the boardroom, Ratan Tata, a shy man who chose to remain away from the spotlight, had a vision that went beyond just profits. Under his guidance, the Tata Trusts — one of the largest charitable organisations in India — supported projects that benefit education, healthcare, and rural development.
He’s also funded scholarships worth millions to students in India. But his philanthropy wasn’t restricted to India alone. He donated $50 million to Harvard Business School for the establishment of an executive centre, reinforcing his belief in the power of education to shape future leaders.
And his love for dogs is the stuff of legends. The Tata headquarters in Mumbai, known as Bombay House, allows for strays, even having a room for the welfare of street dogs in the vicinity. In July this year, he opened a state-of-the-art Rs 165 crore hospital for small animals, including dogs.
After the Mumbai terror attacks of 2008 in which the Taj was attacked, Ratan Tata was at the forefront of the hotel’s recovery efforts and many praised him for the compassion he displayed to victims and the staff of the hotel.
For many, his philanthropy went beyond his business acumen. And that’s the legacy he leaves behind. Ratan Tata will be remembered as a true Ratan of Bharat.
With inputs from agencies
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