Ratan Tata

December 28, 2024

Fast Facts
Background
Career Timeline
Why We Love
Surprising Facts
FAQs

Ratan Naval Tata was born on December 28, 1937. He is a prominent Indian industrialist and the former chairman of Tata Group of Companies, India’s largest conglomerate. At the moment, he serves as Chairman Emeritus of Tata Sons, the holding company for the Tata Group, which owns significant businesses like Tata Steel, Tata Motors, Tata Power, Tata Consultancy Services, Indian Hotels, and Tata Teleservices. He is a well-known philanthropist, and he has invested more than half of his group share in charity trusts. We honor this wonderful person on his birthday today.

Fast Facts

Full Name:

Ratan Naval Tata

Birth date:

December 28, 1937

Age:

Zodiac Sign:

Capricorn

Height:

5' 10"

Relationship Status:

Single

Net Worth:

$1 billion

Background

Ratan Naval Tata was born on December 28, 1937 in Surat, India to Naval Tata and Sonoo. His parents separated when he was 10 and he was raised by his grandmother. He earned a B.S. degree in architecture from Cornell University in 1962. Thereafter, he enrolled in the Harvard Business School, where in 1975 he completed an advanced management program.

Tata began his career in 1962 with the Tata Steel company, working alongside blue-collar workers to shovel stones and maintain furnaces. It was hard work but it gave him a better appreciation and respect for the family business. To resolve a financial situation at the National Radio & Electronics Company Limited (N.E.L.C.O.), he was appointed Director-in-Charge in 1971. He labored to create a superior consumer electronics division but was transferred to the Tata Group’s faltering textile factory Empress Mills in 1977. He was named the new Chairman of the Tata Group of Companies by J.R.D. Tata in 1991. Under his direction, the industry’s financial performance improved, and the organization grew by leaps and bounds. Tata changed the division’s leadership and strategic direction and increased dividends dramatically. He joined the Prime Minister’s Council on Trade and Industry as well. He participated actively in India’s A.I.D.S. initiative program and sat on the advisory board of the R.A.N.D. Center for Asia Pacific Policy. Additionally, he is a member of the American Worldwide Group, JP Morgan Chase, Mitsubishi Cooperation, and Booze Allen Hamilton’s international advisory board.

Tata continues to be a successful businessman even after retiring in 2012 when he turned 75 and invests in new, exciting projects. A bachelor, he has never married and prefers to lead a quiet life. He rides a Tata Sedan and lives in a modest home in Mumbai.

Career timeline

1962

He Joins Tata Steel Division

Tata begins his job at the Tata Steel division, working alongside blue-collar workers shoveling stones and maintaining furnaces.

1971

He is Named a Director

Tata is appointed the Director-in-Charge of the National Radio & Electronics Company Limited (N.E.L.C.O) to improve the company’s financial position.

1977

He Joins Express Mills

Tata is transferred to the Tata Group’s floundering textile factory Empress Mills.

1991

He Becomes Tata Group Chair

Tata is appointed chairman of the Tata Group of Companies by J.R.D. Tata.

2006

He Joins an Advisory Board

Tata begins his term as a member of the advisory board of the Harvard Business School in India.

2013

His Appointment to a Think Tank

Tata serves on the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace’s board of trustees.

Why We Love Ratan Tata

He is exceptional
During his tenure as chairman of Tata Group, he contributed immensely to the development of the company. He was a visionary leader who took his organization to new heights.
He is a great humanist
He has contributed immensely to the lives of people, given them hope, and encouraged them to dream big. He has dedicated his wealth and position to the advancement of others.
A gentleman of the old school
He does not believe in a flamboyant life. He has been living a simple life since he began working. He is a stickler for traditional values and believes in a quiet and modest life.

5 Surprising Facts

His grandmother adopted him
Tata’s grandmother Navajbai Tata, the widow of Sir Ratanji Tata, raised him and legally adopted him through the J. N. Petit Parsi Orphanage.
Not among the richest in the world
Tata is not included among the world’s richest persons because more than 65% of the company’s fortune goes to charitable organizations.
He created a trust fund
Under his leadership, the Tata Education and Development Trust (the charitable arm of the Tata company) established the $28 million Tata Scholarship Fund to support Indian undergraduate students at Cornell University.
He is a pilot
An experienced and skilled pilot, he piloted an F-16 Falcon in 2007.
He is a dog enthusiast
He has a strong fondness for dogs and is the proud owner of two of them, Tito and Maximus.

Ratan Tata FAQs

How much did Ratan Tata donate to Harvard Business School?

Tata donated $50 million to the Harvard Business School in 2010 for the construction of an executive center.

What does Ratan Tata's diet consist of?

Tata’s diet usually consists of mutton pulao dal (a lamb dish), baked custard with loads of nuts, and tangy and sweet masoor dal (a thick stew of dried lentils, peas, or beans).