Ratan Naval Tata, commonly known as Ratan Tata, needs no introduction. Industrialist, entrepreneur and Tata Sons Chairman emeritus is well known for his philanthropic activities on national and international levels. Born on November 28, 1937, he was raised by his grandmother Navajbai Tata.
Ratan Tata was awarded two of the highest civilian awards of India — the Padma Vibhushan (2008) and Padma Bhushan (2000) — for his immeasurable contributions towards nation-building.
Here are some interesting and unknown facts about the business tycoon that you might not be aware of:
- The founder of the Tata group, Jamsetji Tata, is the great-grandfather of Ratan Tata. His parents got separated in 1948 when he was only ten years old and hence he was raised by his grandmother, Navajbai Tata, wife of Ratanji Tata.
- Ratan Tata is unmarried. It is interesting to note that he came close to marrying four times, but could not married for various reasons. He once admitted that while he was working in Los Angeles, there was a time when he fell in love. But because of the 1962 Indo-China War, the girl’s parents were opposed to sending her to India. After which he never got married.
- Ratan Tata studied at Campion School, Mumbai till the 8th class, followed by Cathedral and John Connon School, Mumbai and at Bishop Cotton School Shimla. He received his diploma from Riverdale Country School in New York City in 1955.
- Ratan Tata started his career with Tata group in 1961 and his first job was managing operations on the shop floor of Tata Steel. He later went to Harvard Business School to complete his studies. Ratan Tata is also an alumnus of the Cornell University College of Architecture.
- Ratan Tata made TCS public in 2004. Under his leadership, Tata group got global attention after the historic mergers of Anglo-Dutch steelmaker Corus, British automotive company Jaguar Land Rover, and British tea firm Tetley.
- In 2009, he promised to make the cheapest car, which the middle class of India could afford. He delivered on his promise and launched Tata Nano for ₹1 lakh.
- He is also well known for his philanthropy. Under his leadership, Tata group established a $28 million Tata Scholarship Fund at Cornell University to provide financial support to undergraduate students from India.
- In 2010, Tata group donated $50 million to build an executive centre at Harvard Business School (HBS), where he received his undergraduate training, which was named Tata Hall.
- In 2014, Tata group donated ₹95 crore to the IIT-Bombay and formed the Tata Center for Technology and Design (TCTD) to develop design and engineering principles suited to the needs of people and communities with limited resources.
- The Bombay House has a history of letting stray dogs inside during the rainy season dating back to the time of Jamsetji Tata. Ratan Tata continued the tradition. His Bombay House headquarters has a kennel for stray dogs following recent renovations. This kennel is furnished with food, water, toys, and a play area.
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