RIP Mr. Tata

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Ratan Tata, the former chairman of the diversified Tata Group and one of the leading lights among India’s corporate tycoons, passed away at the age of 86 on Wednesday, October 9, 2024. Born on December 28, 1937, in Navsari, Gujarat, Ratan Tata was the great-grandson of Jamsetji Tata, the founder of the Tata Group.

Ratan Tata took over the helm at Tata Group in 1991 when India had just started to liberalise its economy.  Under his leadership, the Tata Group made a string of high-profile acquisitions including that of Tetley Tea, Corus, Jaguar Land Rover, Brunner Mond, General Chemical Industrial Products and Daewoo. All of this took place before I hit my teens and so I don’t remember even reading of them, till today. However, three things about Ratan Tata have impressed the hell out of me.

One, his love for pets, especially dogs. In 2018, Ratan Tata decreed that any stray outside the Tata Group's headquarters in downtown Mumbai be allowed shelter. Entry for stray animals at Mumbai's iconic Taj Mahal Hotel was also made free. His last project was the nation's first-of-its-kind, state-of-the-art pet hospital, with 24x7 emergency care.

Two, Ratan Tata was a licenced pilot and flying was one of his passions. He started flying while he was a student at Cornell University in the 1960s. He once flew a F-16 fighter jet at  the age of 69 at the Bengaluru Aeroshow. Under his leadership, the Tata Group started a full-service carrier, Vistara, as a joint-venture with Singapore Airlines. In 2021, the Tata Group managed to win a bid for Air India. Air India had been started by the Tata Group in 1932 before it was taken over by the Indian government.

Three, Ratan Tata was at the helm of Tata Trusts, one of India’s largest charitable organisations, which has made significant strides in advancing educational initiatives nationwide. Under his stewardship, the Trusts provided scholarships and funded sustainable living projects, benefiting countless students throughout India. In 2014, Tata gave a grant of Rs 750 million to the Centre for Neuroscience at the Indian Institute of Science to investigate the causes of Alzheimer’s disease and enhance early diagnosis and treatment.

Not everything that Ratan Tata did was a success. The launch of Tata Nano, touted to be the world’s cheapest car, was a failure. Also, his got into a fight with Cyrus Mistry, his hand-picked successor, leading to Cyrus Mistry’s exit as the Chairman of the Tata Group.

People who know Ratan Tata say that he was a perfect gentleman and someone who set very high standards for everything. Mr. Tata, you will be missed. RIP.  

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