He was born on December 28, 1937 in Surat, India, to Naval Tata and Soni. Naval Tata was the adopted son of the Jamsetji Tata’s younger son Ratanji Tata. Jamsetji Tata was the founder of the Tata Group of Companies. Ratan Tata has a brother, Jimmy, and a step-brother, Noel Tata.
When he was ten, his parents, got separated and thereafter, he and his brother were brought up by his grandmother, Navajbai Tata. He received his early education from the Campion School, Mumbai and finished his schooling from the Cathedral and John Connon School, Mumbai. In 1962, he obtained his B.S. in architecture with structural engineering from Cornell University, U.S.A. Later he got enrolled at the Harvard Business School and completed an Advanced Management Program in 1975.
Ratan Tata Biography
| Birth | 28 December 1937 |
| Age | 84 years |
| Education | Cornell UniversityHarvard Business School |
| Family | Naval Tata (Father)Sooni Commissariat (Mother) |
| Occupation | Former Chairperson of Tata Sons and Tata GroupPhilanthropistInvestor |
| Title | Chairman Emeritus, Tata Sons and Tata Group |
| Predecessor | JRD Tata |
| Successor | Cyrus Mistry (2012)Natarajan Chandrasekaran (2017–present) |
| Awards | Padma Vibhushan (2008)Padma Bhushan (2000) |
| Net Worth | Rs. 6000 crores |
| Famous Quotes | “I don’t believe in taking the right decisions. I take decisions and then make them right.” “Power and wealth are not two of my main stakes.” |
| Father | Naval Tata |
| Mother | Sooni Tata |
| Siblings | Noel Tata |
Ratan Tata Childhood and Early Life
Ratan Tata was born in 1937 and is the current Chairman of Tata Sons. He has a brother named Jimmy, and a step-brother called Noel. His parents separated when he was ten years old. He spent his childhood with his grandmother, who raised both of them. He attended Campion school in Mumbai and eventually graduated from Cornell University for architecture, and structural engineering. In 1975 he did an advanced management program at Harvard Business school to become CEO of Tata Group started by my ancestor Lalubhai Jamshedji Modhavandiyya on 1st January 1945.
Ratan Tata Education
| School | Campion School, Mumbai |
| College | Cornell University |
Ratan Tata Career
- In 1962, he started his career with the Tata Steel division where he shoveled stones and worked with the furnaces along with the blue-collar employees. It was a difficult job and helped him gain a better understanding and respect for his family business.
- In 1971, he was appointed as the Director-in-Charge of the National Radio & Electronics Company Limited (NELCO) in order to help its struggling finances. He worked towards building a better consumer electronics division but the economic recession and union strikes prevented him from achieving success.
- In 1977, he was moved to Empress Mills, a struggling textile mill within the Tata Group. He proposed a plan for the mill but the other Tata executives rejected it and the mill was shut down. Later, he was moved to the Tata Industries.
- In 1991, J.R.D. Tata appointed him as the new Chairman of the Tata Group of Companies. This decision came under scrutiny following objections from other executives of the company and questions were raised regarding his ability to run the corporation.
- But he succeeded in improving the financial success of the industries and expanded the growth of the organization under his leadership. He transformed the management and vision of the division, and managed to bring in significantly larger dividends.
- He also became a member of the Prime Minister’s Council on Trade and Industry. He served on the advisory board of the RAND’s center for Asia Pacific Policy and is also an active participant in India’s AIDS initiative program.
- He also holds the membership of the international advisory board of the Mitsubishi Cooperation, the American International Group, JP Morgan Chase and Booze Allen Hamilton.
- On his 75th birthday, i.e, on 28 December 2012 he resigned from the post of Chairman of Tata Group and was succeeded by Cyrus Mistry, managing director of Shapoorji Pallonji Group. Even after retirement, he is still an active businessman and invests in upcoming promising business ventures.
Ratan Tata Net Worth
According to the IIFL Wealth Hurun India Rich List, Ratan Tata’s net worth was estimated at Rs 3,500 crore last year.
| Net Worth | INR 3800 crores |
| Salary | INR 68 lakh |
Ratan Tata – Major Successes
In his capacity as Tata Group’s Chairman, he took the company to such heights that it was prestigiously recognized at the international level. Tata Group reached the New York Stock Exchange and achieved great financial success. In addition to the Tata Nano and Tata Indica automobiles, he led the Tata Group in acquiring Corus, Jaguar Land Rover, and Tetley, leading to the Tata Group becoming a global brand. A philanthropist, he has invested over 65 percent of his share in charitable trusts. He strives to improve the quality of life for Indians.
Also Read : Mukesh Ambani (Indian Businessman) Biography!
Ratan Tata – Achievements and Awards
- Padma Bhushan (3rd highest civilian honor of the Govt. of India (2000)
- Medal of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay (Govt. of Uruguay (2004))
- International Distinguished Achievement Award
- Honorary Fellowship of The London School of Economics and Political Science (2007)
- Padma Vibhushan (2nd highest civilian the honor of the Govt. of India (2008).
- Award of Grand Officer of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (Government of Italy (2009)).
- Title of Honorary Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire, United Kingdom (2009).
- Oslo Business for Peace Award (Business for Peace Foundation (2010)).
- Honorary Knight Grand Cross of The Order of the British Empire (2014).
Ratan Tata Marriage
Tata has never married and has no children. In 2011, Ratan Tata stated, “I came close to getting married four times and each time I backed off in fear or for one reason or another.”
Ratan Tata Car Company List
- Jaguar Land Rover Automotive Plc
- Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles Ltd (TMPV Ltd)
- Tata Passenger Electric Mobility Ltd (TPEM)
- Tata Motors European Technical Centre PLC (TMETC)
- Tata Motors Insurance Broking and Advisory Services Limited (TMIBASL)
- TMF Holdings Limited
- TML Distribution Company Limited (TDCL)
- TRILIX Srl
- Tata Technologies Limited
- Tata Marcopolo Motors Limited (TMML)
- TML Holdings Pte. Limited
- Tata Daewoo Commercial Vehicle Company Limited
Ratan Tata Family Tree
- Jamshedji Nusserwanji Tata- Founder of Tata Group, India’s biggest conglomerate company. He was married to Hirabai Daboo.
- Dorabji Tata- The elder son of Jamshedji Tata and second chairperson of the Tata Group. His wife was Meherbai Tata, the paternal aunt of renowned nuclear scientist Homi J. Bhabha.
- Ratanji Tata- Younger son of Jamshedji Tata. He was the pioneer of poverty studies. He was married to Navajbai Tata. His wife adopted an orphan, Naval, who was the grand-nephew of Hirabai Tata, and raised him as her own son.
- Naval Tata- Adopted son of Navajbai Tata. His biological father was Hormusji Tata. His maternal grandmother was the sister of Hirabai Tata. Director in several Tata companies, ILO member, and recipient of Padma Bhushan, Naval Tata had three sons– Ratan Tata (5th chairperson of Tata Group), Jimmy Tata, and Noel Tata (Chairperson of Trent Limited)– from two marriages.
- Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata- He was one of the early stalwarts who served the Tata Group. His father Dadabhoy and his mother Jamshedji Tata, Jeevanbai, were siblings. He married Suzanne Brière and the couple gave birth to five children, including J.R.D. Tata and Sylla Tata.
- J.R.D. Tata- He served as the fourth Chairperson of the Tata Group. He is the founder of Tata Airlines (later Air India).
- Sylla Tata- Elder sister of J.R.D. Tata was married to the founder of the first textile mill in India, Dinshaw Maneckji Petit. Her sister-in-law Rattanbai Petit, was married to Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan. Jinnah’s only child, Dina Jinnah, was married to Neville Ness Wadia.
Famous Quotes By Ratan Tata
- “I don’t believe in taking the right decisions. I take decisions and then make them right.”
- “If you want to walk fast, walk alone. But if you want to walk far, walk together.”
- “I’ve often felt that the Indian Tiger has not been unleashed.”
- “People still believe what they read is necessarily the truth.”
- “If it stands the test of public scrutiny, do it… If it doesn’t stand the test of public scrutiny then don’t do it.”
- “Power and wealth are not two of my main stakes.”
- “I have been constantly telling people to encourage people, to question the unquestioned, and not to be ashamed to bring up new ideas, new processes to get things done.”
- “None can destroy iron, but its own rust can! Likewise, none can destroy a person, but its own mindset can!”
- “Businesses need to go beyond the interest of their companies to the communities they serve.”
- “Ups and downs in life are very important to keep us going because a straight line even in an ECG means we are not alive.”
- “Apart from values and ethics which I have tried to live by, the legacy I would like to leave behind is a very simple one – that I have always stood up for what I consider to be the right thing, and I have tried to be as fair and equitable as I could be.”
- “I admire people who are very successful. But if that success has been achieved through too much ruthlessness, then I may admire that person, but I can’t respect him.”
- “There are many things that, if I have to relive, maybe I will do it another way. But I would not like to look back and think what I have not been able to.”
- “Don’t be serious, enjoy life as it comes.”
- “I have always been very confident and very upbeat about the future potential of India. I think it is a great country with great potential.”
- “One hundred years from now, I expect the Tatas to be much bigger than it is now. More importantly, I hope the Group comes to be regarded as being the best in India.. best in the manner in which we operate, best in the products we deliver, and our best in our value systems and ethics. Having said that, I hope that a hundred years from now we will spread our wings far beyond India.”
- “Take the stones people to throw at you, and use them to build a monument”
- “I followed someone who had very large shoes. He had very large shoes. Mr. J. R. D. Tata. He was a legend in the Indian business community. He had been at the helm of the Tata organization for 50 years. You were almost starting to think he was going to be there forever.”
- “Young entrepreneurs will make a difference in the Indian ecosystem.”
- “I would say that one of the things I wish I could do differently would be to be more outgoing.”
- “The strong live and the weak die. There is some bloodshed, and out of it emerges a much leaner industry, which tends to survive.”
- “At Tatas, we believe that if we are not among the top three in an industry, we should look seriously at what it would take to become one of the top three players.. or think about exiting the industry”
Ratan Tata Cars
Ratan Tata is known to be a car enthusiast and has owned several luxury cars over the years. Here is a list of all the cars that he owns:
- Tata Nexon
- Ferrari California
- Honda Civic
- Mercedes Benz-500 SL
- Land Rover Freelander
- Mercedes Benz W124
- Cadillac XLR
- Tata Indigo Marina
- Mercedes Benz S-Class
Ratan Tata Interesting facts:
- Our admirable Ratan Tata is unmarried.
- Despite being the chairman of one of the largest conglomerates in India, he is down to Earth.
- He is the driving force behind the historic merger of Land Rover Jaguar with Tata Motors.
- He is also the driving force behind the development of the world’s cheapest car, the Tata Nano.
- Ratan Tata is a skilled pilot as well.
Ratan Tata Houses and Real Estate Properties
Ratan Tata owns several properties, including a sea-facing bungalow in Colaba, Mumbai. The Colaba residence, which has three floors and a total of seven levels, is a sea-facing building with a generous 13,350 square feet of space.
Ratan Tata Controversies
- Involvement in Tata Tapes
- Tata Nano Controversy
- Radia Tapes
Ratan Tata flies F18 plane
Ratan Tata sits in the cockpit of a F17 fighter plane during the Aero India 2011, India’s biggest air show, at Yelahanka air base in Bangalore. Tata group chairman Ratan Tata waves to the media before he sits in the F18 fighter plane during the Aero India 2011 in Bangalore. Ratan Tata flies the F18 fighter plane during the Aero India in Bangalore.
Ratan Tata speech, with PM by his side, wins hearts
Ratan Tata, along with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, inaugurated seven state-of-the-art cancer hospitals and laid the foundation stone.
Today, seven new cancer hospitals have been inaugurated in Assam. There was a time, even one hospital getting opened up in seven years was a thing to celebrate. Times have changed now. I have been told three more cancer hospitals will be ready for your service in a few months,” PM Modi said.
Ratan Tata said, “I dedicate my last years to help make Assam a state that recognises and is recognised by all.
Ratan Tata is a titan of biz, industry & philanthropy not just in but his contributions have also made a significant impact in Delighted to confer Order of Australia (AO) honour.
Ratan Tata: Latest updates
Ratan Tata celebrates 84th birthday
Ratan Tata celebrated his 84th birthday on December 28, 2021. The social media was flooded with a heartwarming video where Ratan Tata was seen blowing out the candle on a cupcake while one of his employees, Shantanu Naidu, clapped, sang a birthday song, and fed him a piece of cake. Users online posted their wishes while admiring the simplicity the industrialist is known for. Shantanu Naidu works as a deputy general manager. The video clip was shared by Vaibhav Bhoir, a business development manager at Tata Motors Finance.
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