Ratan Tata Biography, Age, Religion, Son, Wife, Family, Philanthropy, Net Worth

Ratan Tata was a legendary Indian industrialist and philanthropist who led Tata Group and Tata Sons as chairman from 1991 to 2012 and briefly served as interim chairman from October 2016 to February 2017. In 2008, he donated $50 million to Cornell, becoming its largest international donor.

Ratan Tata was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2000 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2008, India’s third and second-highest civilian honors, respectively. In addition, he received several state-level honors, including the ‘Maharashtra Bhushan’ in 2006 for his contributions to public administration in Maharashtra, and the ‘Assam Baibhav’ in 2021 for his efforts in advancing cancer care in Assam.

Ratan took his last breath on 9 October 2024 in Mumbai and he was given a military tribute with a 21-gun salute, and his body was wrapped in the Indian flag. Mumbai Police also gave him a ceremonial guard of honor.

 

“I don’t believe in making the right decisions. I make decisions and then make them right. Power and wealth are not two of my main stakes.” ¹jagranjosh 

Ratan Tata Biography

Ratan Naval Tata was born on 28 December 1937 in Bombay, India during British rule, into a Parsi Zoroastrian family and he passed away on October 9 2024 in Mumbai’s Breach Candy Hospital. He was a Parsi by religion and holds Indian nationality. ²starsunfolded

Ratan Tata Education

Ratan Tata studied at several schools, including Campion School, Cathedral, John Connon School in Mumbai, and Bishop Cotton School in Shimla. He later moved to the U.S. and graduated from Riverdale Country School in New York in 1955. After high school, he went to Cornell University and earned a degree in architecture in 1962. While at Cornell, he joined the Alpha Sigma Phi fraternity. ³unacademy 

 

Ratan Tata Family

Ratan’s father was Naval Tata, who was adopted into the Tata family, and his mother was Soonoo Tata, a relative of Jamsetji Tata, the founder of the Tata Group. His parents were separated when he was 10, and he was further raised by his grandmother, Navajbai Tata. He had two brothers, Jimmy Tata and Noel Tata. ⁴tata 

Ratan Tata Wife & Son

Ratan Tata never married and did not have a son. In 2011, he mentioned that he came close to marriage four times but backed out each time for different reasons. In his later years, he was very close to his assistant, Shantanu Naidu.

Ratan Tata’s Career at Tata Group

Ratan Tata joined Tata Group in 1961 and worked on the shop floor. In the 1970s, he moved into management and successfully revived the National Radio and Electronics Company. In 1991, he became the chairman of Tata Sons, taking over from J. R. D. Tata.

Ratan faced resistance from senior leaders but gained control by setting a retirement age, changing how teams reported, and letting go of some executives. He focused on expanding Tata’s businesses globally and acquired major companies like Tetley Tea in 2000 for $431.3 million, Daewoo Motors’ truck division in 2004 for $102 million, and Corus Steel in 2007 for $11.3 billion. In 2008, Tata Motors bought Jaguar and Land Rover from Ford for $2.3 billion marking the biggest deal by an Indian car company.

Ratan retired in December 2012 but briefly returned as interim chairman in 2016 after his successor, Cyrus Mistry, was removed. He fully retired again in 2017 when Natarajan Chandrasekaran took over as chairman. ⁵britannica

Legacy & Humanitarian Aids of Ratan Tata

Ratan Tata was a strong supporter of education, healthcare, and rural development, making him one of India’s leading philanthropists. He helped fund projects like capacitive deionization to provide better water in challenging areas.

In 2016, Tata Trusts donated $70 million to the University of California, San Diego, to establish the Tata Institute for Genetics and Society, focusing on research into gene editing and disease control.

The Tata Education and Development Trust also set up a $28 million scholarship fund at Cornell University to help Indian students study there. Tata Group also donated $50 million to build Tata Hall at Harvard Business School, which is used for executive education.

In 2014, Tata Group gave ₹950 million to IIT Bombay to create the Tata Centre for Technology and Design, focusing on projects for people with limited resources. The Tata Trusts also supported Alzheimer’s research at the Indian Institute of Science, with a grant of ₹750 million.

Ratan served on many important boards, including Cornell University, Alcoa, Mondelez International, and Harvard Business School. He was a member of international advisory councils, and in 2013, he was named Cornell Entrepreneur of the Year. ⁶wikipedia

Ratan Tata’s Net Worth

Ratan Tata has an estimated net worth of more than 4000 crore INR and he is one of the richest persons in India.

Ratan Tata’s Honors & Achievements

• In 2001, Ratan Tata received an Honorary Doctor of Business Administration from Ohio State University.
• In 2004, the Government of Uruguay awarded him the Medal of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay.
• He was granted an Honorary Doctor of Technology by the Asian Institute of Technology in 2004.
• In 2005, Tata was honored with the International Distinguished Achievement Award from B’nai B’rith International.
• The University of Warwick conferred an Honorary Doctor of Science on Tata in 2005.
• In 2006, he received an Honorary Doctor of Science from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras.
• The Responsible Capitalism Award was given to him in 2006 by the FIRST organization.
  In 2007, Tata was awarded an Honorary Fellowship by the London School of Economics and Political Science.
• He received the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy in 2007 from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
• In 2008, the University of Cambridge awarded Tata an Honorary Doctor of Law.
• He also received Honorary Doctor of Science degrees from the Indian Institutes of Technology in Bombay and Kharagpur in 2008.
• In 2008, he was given the Honorary Citizen Award by the Government of Singapore.
• The Institution of Engineering and Technology awarded him an Honorary Fellowship in 2008.
• He received the Inspired Leadership Award from The Performance Theatre in 2008.
• In 2009, Tata was honored as an Honorary Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) by Queen Elizabeth II.
• The Indian National Academy of Engineering awarded him the Life Time Contribution Award in Engineering for 2008.
• In 2009, he became a Grand Officer of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic.
• The University of Cambridge awarded him another Honorary Doctor of Law in 2010.
• In 2010, Tata received the Hadrian Award from the World Monuments Fund.
• The Oslo Business for Peace Award was given to him in 2010 by the Business for Peace Foundation.
• In 2010, Tata was recognized with the Legend in Leadership Award by Yale University.
• He was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Laws by Pepperdine University in 2010.
• The Business for Peace Foundation honored him with the Business for Peace Award in 2010.
• Tata was named Business Leader of the Year at The Asian Awards in 2010.
• In 2012, Tata became an Honorary Fellow of The Royal Academy of Engineering.
• The University of New South Wales awarded him a Doctor of Business honoris causa in 2012.
• In 2012, he received the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun from the Government of Japan.
• The Rockefeller Foundation honored him with a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012.
• In 2013, Tata was named a Foreign Associate by the National Academy of Engineering.
• He was named Transformational Leader of the Decade at the Indian Affairs India Leadership Conclave in 2013.
• In 2013, Tata received the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year – Lifetime Achievement Award.
• Carnegie Mellon University awarded him an Honorary Doctor of Business Practice in 2013.
• In 2014, Tata was conferred an Honorary Doctor of Business by Singapore Management University.
• Tata received the Sayaji Ratna Award from the Baroda Management Association in 2014.
• In 2014, Queen Elizabeth II made him an Honorary Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire (GBE).
• York University, Canada, awarded Tata an Honorary Doctor of Laws in 2014.
• In 2015, he received an Honorary Doctor of Automotive Engineering from Clemson University.
• He was honored with the Sayaji Ratna Award again in 2015 by the Baroda Management Association and HEC Paris.
• In 2016, Tata was awarded the Commander of the Legion of Honour by the Government of France.
• In 2018, Swansea University awarded him an Honorary Doctor in Engineering.
• In 2022, Tata received an Honorary Doctor of Literature from HSNC University.
• In 2023, King Charles III made Tata an Honorary Officer of the Order of Australia (AO).
• In 2023, the Government of Maharashtra honored him with the Maharashtra Udyog Ratna Award.

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