Ratan Tata Passed Away
Ratan Tata, veteran industrialist and Tata Group chairman emeritus, passed away at the age of 86 on Wednesday night at Breach Candy Hospital in Mumbai. Tata Sons chairman, N Chandrasekaran, confirmed the news of his passing.
Ratan Tata, a recipient of the Padma Vibhushan, will be honored posthumously with a proposal from Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to award him the Bharat Ratna. The proposal will be submitted to the Central government for approval.
His mortal remains, accompanied by his close aide Shantanu Naidu, were taken to the National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA) in Mumbai at 10:30 am for the public to pay their final respects. NCP-SCP Chief Sharad Pawar and KM Birla have already paid tribute, and Home Minister Amit Shah is expected to attend the last rites on behalf of the Modi government.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed deep sorrow over Ratan Tata’s passing, calling him a visionary business leader, a compassionate individual, and an extraordinary human being. Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde also announced that Ratan Tata will be accorded a state funeral.
Who is Ratan Tata?
Ratan Tata, a prominent entrepreneurial leader, marked his 86th birthday today. Born on December 28, 1937, in Mumbai to Naval and Sooni Tata, he is the Chairman Emeritus of Tata Sons and is widely known for his philanthropic work both in India and globally.
He has been awarded two of India’s highest civilian honors: the Padma Bhushan in 2000 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2008, in recognition of his substantial contributions to the nation’s development and growth.
The Men Who built the Tata Group
Let’s take a closer look at the Tata group and the people who built it, bringing it to where it is today. In almost every part of your life, you’ll likely come across something from the Tata group—whether it’s Tata Motors, Vistara Airlines, Tata Tea, Taj Hotels, Westside fashion, Tanishq, Tata Salt, Tata Steel, or Tata Consultancy Services. The list goes on, as there are over 100 companies under the Tata umbrella. This makes Tata one of India’s most successful companies, but it didn’t happen overnight. It took 200 years for the company to reach this point, leading the way in multiple industries in India.
Tata has been a pioneer in introducing many “firsts,” like the first 8-hour workday and the first paid leave. Guided by the belief that business should help build the nation, not just earn profits, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) is now the second-largest employer in India, after the Indian Railways. With these achievements, the Tata group continues to move forward and make significant progress.
Ratan Tata’s Achievements
In 1991, Ratan Tata was appointed as the successor to JRD Tata and became the chairman of the Tata group. Coincidentally, this was also the year when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh introduced economic liberalization in India, opening the country’s markets to the world. Recognizing the potential challenges from global competition, Ratan Tata increased Tata Sons’ stake in all Tata group subsidiaries to prevent any foreign company from taking over the group. This strategic move was highly successful, and soon after, the Tata group began acquiring international companies. For example, Tata acquired England’s Tetley Tea for $12 billion, and later, the UK’s Jaguar Land Rover, which was struggling at the time. Interestingly, Jaguar Land Rover’s employees wanted the Tata group to take over their company, which led to a successful acquisition.
In 2008, he launched the Nano car, a low-cost vehicle that fulfilled the dream of car ownership for many people. However, branding was never Tata’s main focus. This is evident in how the Tata group refrained from putting its name on renowned institutions it owned, such as the Empress Mill of Nagpur, Taj Hotels, and the Indian Institute of Science (IISC). Even the city of Jamshedpur, where Tata Steel was founded, was named not by the Tata group but by the British Viceroy, in honor of Jamsetji Tata.
Ratan Tata’s core philosophy, and that of the Tata group, has always been centered on social upliftment. One of his well-known quotes reflects his leadership approach: “Leadership is about taking responsibility, not making excuses.”
