Ratan Tata
Early Life
Ratan Naval Tata was born on 28th December, 1937 in Mumbai. His parents separated in his childhood and due to which he was raised by his grandmother, Navajbai Tata. He did his early schooling from Mumbai and later achieved a degree in architecture and structural engineering from Cornell University in the year 1962. He also attended Harvard Business School for Advance Management Program in the year 1975.
His stint at Tata Group
Ratan Tata started working on the shop floor in 1962 at Tata Steel. While working with blue collar workers he got to know the nitty-gritties of the operations in the company. After gaining experience at lower levels, he was given managerial position in the company in the year 1970. He steadily rose through the ranks and was appointed the chairman of Tata Sons in 1991.
His major Achievements
Ratan Tata was instrumental in leading Tata Group’s expansion into global markets, including the acquisition of Tetley Tea (UK), Corus Steel (UK), and Jaguar Land Rover (UK). He launched India’s first indigenous car, Tata Indica. With a vision to provide affordable four wheeler to common man, Ratan Tata conceptualized and introduced the Tata Nao.
Philanthropy
Ratan Tata emphasized ethics and corporate social responsibility, supporting education, healthcare, rural development, and scientific research through Tata charitable trusts. He was known for his belief that businesses should serve a greater purpose beyond profit.
After Retirement
He retired as the chairman of Tata Group in 2012. Even after his retirement he remained active as a mentor, investor, and philanthropist. He kept on investing in several startups and that way encouraging young entrepreneurs. After Ratan Tata stepped down as the chairman of Tata Sons in 2012, Cyrus Mistry was appointed as his successor, but his tenure was fraught with conflicts. Ultimately, he was removed in October 2016. During this interim period, Ratan Tata started managing the company in these difficult times. Later, in 2017, Natarajan Chandrasekaran was appointed as the new chairman. In his later years, his prominent achievement was reacquisition of Air India in 2021.
Awards
Ratan Tata was awarded with the Padma Bhushan in 2000 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2008. In 2014, he was awarded Honorary Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II for his services to UK-India relations. In 2023, he was bestowed with Order of Australia, recognizing his significant contributions to Australia-India relations. Some other awards given to him were: –
· Assam Baibhav in the year 2021 by Assam Government
· Commander of the Legion of Honour in 2016 by the Government of France for his contributions to industry and philanthropy.
· Medal of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay in 2004 given by the London School of Economics and Political Science.
· Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy in 2007 awarded by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace for his philanthropic efforts.
· Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year – Lifetime Achievement in 2013