Ratan Tata, Chairman, Tata Sons
Ratan Tata, in full Ratan Naval Tata, (born December 28, 1937, Bombay(now Mumbai), India. An Indian businessman who became chairman (1991–2012 and 2016–17) of the Tata Group, a Mumbai-based conglomerate. Ratan Tata’s father Naval Tata was the adopted son of Ratanji Tata and Navajbai Tata. Earlier Naval Tata was growing in J.N. Petit Parsi Orphanage. Navajbai Tata, the grandmother of Ratan Tata was very fond of him. When Ratan Tata was just 10 years old, his parents got separated in 1940 and then he was raised by his grandmother.
The Chairman Emeritus of Tata Sons Ratan Tata has been an instrumental figure in the growth of the Tata Sons empire. While he is recognised globally for his business acumen, here are five unique facts about him. Ratan Naval Tata is probably one of the most revered businessmen in India who has been responsible for continuously adding bricks of success to the mammoth Tata Sons empire, taking it to new heights during his tenure as Group chairman. Not just for managing the vast group after he took charge in 1991 but the Chairman Emeritus of Tata Sons is also popular due to his acts of philanthropy, investment in new ventures and much more. Having said that, there are several other unknown facts about the 80-yearold Indian industrialist which people hardly know about.
For instance, only a few know that he got a job opportunity in IBM in 1961 but rejected it. Instead, he joined the family business and took it to new heights.
Saying that Ratan Tata is a gem of a human being would be an understatement. A patriot, a successful businessman, and a philanthropist, Ratan Tata has been instrumental in placing the Tata Group, and by extension, India on the global map as an economic force to be reckoned with, and has helped India survive some of its most fiscally challenging times.
Over the years, Ratan Tata has donated to a number of causes, with the latest one being the Rs 500 Crore donation to fight COVID-19. Given the recluse that Ratan Tata is, not much is known about him. Here are 5 facts about Ratan Tata that show that he indeed is what his name says a true gem of human being.
Humble beginnings
Even though he was the scion of the Tata Group, Ratan Tata's journey with the Tata Group was actually a very humble one, Ratan Tata instead chose to join the family business, at Tata Steel, where he began working on the shop floor of Tata Steel. Here, Ratan Tata would shovel limestone into the furnace, and at times, would be in charge of handling the furnace. If this is not humility, we don't know what is.
Ratan Tata, The Architect
Ratan Tata actually studied to be an architect, with a specialization in structural engineering, from the
University of Cornell, in the United States of America. Before joining the family business, Ratan Tata actually practised as an architect for two years.
Conceptualising the Nano
Say what you will about the Nano, it was an important car in the history of automobiles. Not only was it the cheapest mass-produced car in the world at one point, but also, one of the largest employment opportunities in India. Apparently, Ratan Tata got the idea of a small, economical and affordable car for the small Indian nuclear family, after seeing a family of four riding a two-wheeler, in the Mumbai rain.
Tata Trusts
The structure of ownership of the various companies in The Tata Group is fairly confusing, especially for someone who has almost no knowledge of how corporate entities are structured. What we do know for sure is that Tata Trusts own 66 per cent stake in the Tata Group. Over the years when Ratan Tata was the chairman of Tata Trusts, they gave away about $800 million dollars in charity. That's roughly Rs. 6100 crores. Most of this money was spent on arranging sustained potable water in areas that lack drinking water, and regularly face droughts.