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Ratan Tata Indica to Jaguar and Range rover
Ratan Tata a Big loss to every Indian a precious Gem and pass away on 9 October 2024. Tata never married, and he left behind no children when he died. In 2011, Ratan Tata was quoted telling the media, “I came close to getting married four times and each time I backed off in fear or for one reason or another.”.
He was critical and under close care at a Mumbai hospital. Tata died at Breach Candy Hospital in Mumbai on 9 October 2024, at 86 years of age. On 7 October 2024 he stated that he was going through routine health checkup.
Ratan Tata real name Ratan Naval Tata born on 28 December 1937 died on 9 October 2024) was an Indian industrialist and former chairman of Tata Sons. He was the chairman of Tata Group from 1990 until he quit on 28 December 2012 and took over as interim chairman of Tata Group from 28 October 2016 to 31 January 2017. He died on 9 October 2024.
He was awarded the Padma Vibhushan in 2008. He received Padma Bhushan in 2000, the third-highest civilian honor.
Ratan Tata was the son of Naval Tata, who in his turn was adopted by Ratanji Tata’s son, namely Jamshedji Tata, the founder of the Tata Group. Ratan Tata graduated from the Cornell University College of Architecture with a bachelor’s degree in architecture. Ratan joined Tata in 1961, wherein he spent time at the shop floor of Tata Steel. After latter’s retirement in 1991 he replaced JRD Tata. During his tenure the Tata Group acquired Tetley, Jaguar Land Rover, and Corus, in an effort to transform Tata from a mainly India-centric group into an international business. Tata was also a philanthropist.
Tata was an active investor and had invested in over 30 startups. The majority of his investments were made as a private individual and some through his investment company.
Early life and education
Ratan Tata was born in Bombay, now Mumbai, during the British Raj into a Parsi Zoroastrian family 28 December 1937. He was the son of Naval Tata, born in Surat later adopted into the Tata family and Sooni Tata niece of Tata group founder Jamsetji Tata.
Hormusji Tata was his biological father, was a member of the Tata family by blood. Tata was adopted by his grandmother Navajbai Tata when she was married to Ratanji Tata and divorced in 1948 when Tata was 10 years old. He has a younger brother, Jimmy Tata and a half-brother, Noel Tata from Naval Tata’s second marriage with Simone Tata, whom he grew up with. In Mumbai till the 8th class he attended Champion school.
After which, he was a student at Cathedral and John Cononna School in Mumbai, the Bishop Cotton School in Shimla, and Riverdale Country School in New York City where he graduated in 1955. Tata joined Cornell University after high school and graduated from there in 1959 in a bachelor’s program in architecture. While studying at Cornell, He was also became a member of the Alpha Sigma Phi fraternity. In 2008, Tata gave Cornell US$50 million, hence making her the largest international donor in the history of the university. Career In the 1970s, Ratan Tata was made to take up a management position within the Tata group.
He first succeeded in reviving the subsidiary National Radio and Electronics (NELCO) only for it to collapse when the economy slowed down.
After resigning of J.R.D. as chairman of Tata Sons in 1991, naming him his successor. Of course, Tata immediately faced stiff headwinds from the subordinate heads of various subsidiaries who were accustomed to the relatively high levels of operational freedom in the old regime. A series of policies aimed at consolidating power was rolled out – the introduction of a retirement age, a system whereby the subsidiaries were forced to report directly to the group office, and subsidiary profit contribution to brand building in the Tata group. Tata emphasized innovation and handed significant responsibilities to younger talent.
The overlapping operations within the subsidiaries of Tata were rationalized under his leadership into company-wide operations, and the group exited the unrelated businesses to take on globalization. His revenues grew over 40 times during 21 years of his work on Tata Group, and the profits over 50 times. Taking over the company, sales were largely commodity sales, but towards the end of his tenure, most sales were brands. Ratan Tata had Tata Motors, Tata Steel acquire Corus, Tata Tea acquire Tetley and acquire Jaguar Land Rover.
These acquisitions placed Tata from a largely India-centric group into a global business, with over 65% of revenues coming from operations and sales internationally.
He also designed and guided the project for the Tata Nano car, which made cars accessible at a price point that will afford them to average Indian consumers. Tata Motors has launched the first batch of Tigor Electric Vehicles from its Sanand plant in Gujarat, described by Tata as “fast-forwarding India’s electric dream.”.
He had invested his money in Snapdeal – one of India’s leading e-commerce websites. In January 2016, he invested in Teabox-an online premium Indian Tea seller and cashback platform CashKaro.com. Including INR 0.95 Cr in Ola Cabs he made small investments. In April 2015, Tata acquired a stake in Chinese smartphone start-up Xiaomi.
On turning 75, Ratan Tata resigned his executive powers in the Tata group on 28 December 2012. A following leadership crisis over his succession became the subject of intense media attention. The board of directors and legal division of the company refused to allow Cyrus Mistry, a relative of Tata and son of Pallonji Mistry of the Shapoorji Pallonji Group, the largest individual shareholder of the Tata group to be appointed as his successor. Cyrus Mistry was removed as chairman of Tata Sons on 24 October 2016 and Ratan Tata became interim chairman.
A selection committee of Tata among others was formed to decide on his successor. On 12 January 2017, Natarajan Chandrasekaran was elected as a chairman of Tata Sons position, he took up in February 2017. Cyrus Mistry was removed from the board as director of Tata Sons in February 2017. The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal later ruled in December 2019 that the sacking of Cyrus Mistry as chairman of Tata Sons was unlawful and ordered reinstatement. On appeal, however, India’s Supreme Court threw out Cyrus Mistry’s dismissal. Tata had also invested in some companies using his own money.
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