Mumbai: Ratan Naval Tata, whose long leadership transformed the Tata Group into a global powerhouse, has passed away. Breach Candy Hospital Wednesday night around 11 pm. The 86-year-old was admitted on Monday due to dehydration problem.
Tata’s demise marks the end of an extraordinary corporate journey that not only reshaped the Tata Group but also set new benchmarks for Indian industry on the global stage.
Under his leadership, the group’s revenues grew from $4 billion in 1991 to over $100 billion by 2012, when he retired, making it the first Indian group to achieve such a feat.
Born to Sunu and Naval Tata during British rule in Mumbai (then Bombay), Ratan grew up in Tata House in Tata Fort – now the Indian headquarters of Deutsche Bank. A non-drinker and non-smoker, he was a bachelor who came close to marrying three times but remained celibate throughout his life.
He is survived by his two brothers Jimmy and Noel and their families, as well as his stepmother Simone Tata.
Educated at three prestigious institutions including Campion School and Cathedral in South Mumbai and John Connon School and Bishop Cotton in Shimla, Ratan Tata studied with notable personalities like music maestro Zubin Mehta and business magnates Ashok Birla and Rahul Bajaj, Duke owner Dinshaw Pandole and Shared classes. Yousuf Hamid of Cipla.
He received a Bachelor of Architecture degree from Cornell University, initially beginning as an engineering student at his father’s insistence. Disillusioned with engineering, he shifted to architecture after two years and worked briefly with Jones & Emmons in Los Angeles, turning down a job offer from IBM. In 1962, he joined the Tata Group as an assistant in Tata Industries and rose to the top 29 years later to become Chairman of Tata Sons.
His tenure was marked by a concerted effort to remove the old satraps and establish Tata Sons as the center of strategic direction across the group. Under his leadership, Tata Sons strengthened its hold on the group companies, requiring them to pay royalties for using the Tata brand.
He led the group into new areas such as telecom and passenger cars and was instrumental in driving innovation with landmark projects such as the Indica, India’s first indigenous car; Nano, the world’s most affordable vehicle; and Ginger, a budget hotel chain, oversaw more than 60 acquisitions, expanding the group’s reach. he also took Tata Consultancy Services public, the only major Tata company to do so.
However, Ratan Tata’s legacy has not been untouched by controversies. His decision to appoint Cyrus Mistry as his successor in 2011 led to one of the most controversial chapters in the group’s history. In 2016, he chose N Chandrasekaran to lead Tata Sons after Mistry’s tough stance. Furthermore, his dream of making the world’s cheapest car (the Nano) faced political opposition in West Bengal, due to which production had to be shifted to Gujarat.
Ratan Tata was honored in 2008 Padma VibhushanIndia’s second highest civilian honour.
Despite his many successes, Ratan Tata remained remarkably humble, often attributing his achievements to the efforts of those around him. A believer in staying away from politics, he once remarked, “Like my mentor JRD Tata, I never thought about politics. I am not meant to be a political person and I will not take the risk.”
Beyond the boardroom, he was known for his quiet but firm demeanor and often preferred to stay away from the spotlight. His contributions extended far beyond business as he led numerous philanthropic initiatives Tata TrustMaking a silent but significant impact on sectors like healthcare, education and rural development.
He has maintained a low profile in retirement, with sporadic public appearances – the last being on August 15 this year, when he visited the Tata Fire Temple in Bandra to celebrate the Parsi New Year.
In his post-retirement years, Ratan Tata also became an angel investor in several startups, including Upstox, FirstCry and Ola Electric – a testament, if any were needed, to his continued commitment to innovation and entrepreneurship. He significantly increased his focus on philanthropy through the Tata Trusts, changing the organization’s funding approach to prioritize large-scale social initiatives, such as the establishment of cancer care hospitals and the rescue of small animals, including strays, in Mumbai. To establish India’s largest tertiary care center for.
Although his physical activity has decreased in recent years, with public appearances further reduced, he still maintains a sharp eye and engages in virtual meetings for both official and charitable work.
Legend Ratan Tata is no more; Died in Mumbai hospital, tribute paid at Tata Sons
Beyond business, Ratan Tata had a personal passion for aviation, holding pilot licenses for both fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters. He was also an avid scuba diver and continued to engage in it until health restrictions limited his mobility. He also had a deep love for dogs, building a special swimming pool for his pets at his Colaba residence, Halekai.
Ratan Tata himself designed Halekai as well as his 2,000-square-foot beach bungalow in Alibaug. His connection with architecture extends to two other houses which he designed in Jamshedpur at Road no. 10, Circuit House (East). One of these houses belonged to Soli Devitre, brother-in-law of the then Tata Sons director Jehangir Gandhi, and the other to Cavus Mehta, a former senior Tata Steel executive, and his wife Perrin C Mehta. The properties now have new owners.
And just as those houses will always bear his aesthetic imprint, so too will Ratan Tata’s imprint on Indian business.
