India is mourning the demise of the legendary industrialist and philanthropist Ratan Tata, at the age of 86. He was one of India’s most loved and respected industrialists, often revered for his strong contributions beyond business. He had an immense focus on improving the education and healthcare standards of particularly rural India. Born in Mumbai on December 28, 1937, he was the great-grandson of Jamsetji Tata. He scaled the Tata Sons to the huge conglomerate it is today. Over the years, we have seen him do many amusing, kind and crazy things in business and as a person. Here are 13 things we will always remember Ratan Tata for:
Driving Sundays On Marine Drive
Ratan Tata could often be spotted driving around on Marine Drive on Sundays, in any of his cars. He, by the way, had a tasteful collection of cars– comprising both fancy ones like the Ferrari California to humble cars like an electric Nano! A little girl used to often accompany him on such drives.
Launching Tata Estate With JRD Tata
The Estate was special for several reasons. It was one of the first passenger vehicles to be launched by Tata Motors, in 1992. Before this, Tata Motors had more focus on the commercial vehicle segment. It marked the transition of TELCO into Tata Motors. At its launch, Ratan posed for pictures alongside his proud great-grandfather- JRD Tata, having realised the old man’s vision of building a passenger car. The picture became as iconic as the station wagon itself.
Launching Indica
Ratan Tata launched the Indica in 1998. It became the first Indian hatchback to offer a diesel engine. It was part of his vision to build comfortable, frugal passenger cars that felt more modern and comfortable than the SUVs and Estates of bygone times. The Indica was Tata’s first-ever hatchback and was later exported to many global markets as well. In some countries, it was sold as the Rover CityRover. Ratan Tata is also credited for expanding Tata Group’s presence beyond the national borders. Under his helm, the brand started having footprints in many other countries.
Launching Nano
Another launch which Ratan Tata is famous for is that of the Nano. It was one of his most ambitious projects that fruitioned in 2008. He wanted an extremely affordable small car that could potentially replace the various motorcycles here. He wanted it to be the symbol of Tata’s commitment to fulfilling the needs of the common man.
Shifting The Factory From Bengal To Gujarat In Record Time
When the Nano’s launch was still approaching, Tata Motors found themselves in a huge controversy. In 2006, 997 acres of agricultural land were allocated to the manufacturer for setting up their factory in Singur. There were local disputes from farmers, which escalated, forcing Tata to consider moving the facility to Gujarat in mid-2008. The process was completed in October 2008- a record time for something of its kind! Careful planning and execution under Ratan’s leadership are to be credited here.
Buying Jaguar Land Rover
Under Ratan’s Stewardship, Tata Sons acquired multiple international brands like Tetley, Jaguar Land Rover and Corus Steel. The British brand could be one of the most celebrated purchases among these, as it has geo-political connotations as well. Under Tata Sons, Jaguar Land Rover has planned and executed multiple interesting products and strategies.
Studied Architecture at Cornell
Going by the present status of Tata Motors, at least some of you might think that Ratan Tata could probably have studied automobile engineering at Cornell. This is far from reality. He pursued architecture at Cornell and returned to his family business of Steel. He started his career in 1962, as the operations manager at the shop floor of Tata Steel. In 1975, he completed the Advanced Management Programme at Harvard Business School.
Despite having had a humble start, he built the country’s first steel plant, first luxury hotel and the first domestic airline over the years. He became the Group’s chairman in 1991, at a time when India was opening its economy to the world, by implementing measures such as devaluing the rupee. Tata took this opportunity to expand its global footprint in various industries.
The Airline Business
Recently, much buzz had surrounded the news of Tata Sons acquiring Air India. What later came to be known as India’s national airlines was originally conceived and realised by Tata Sons in 1932. They operated the first scheduled flights from Karachi to Bombay, under the name Tata Airlines. The fleet consisted of two small aircraft models. In 1938, the airline was renamed to Tata Air Services. As years passed by, it was converted into a public company and renamed Air India Limited.
The acquisition of Air India by Tata Sons occurred in 2021. The Group already had a few airline brands under it at the time of purchase- Air Asia and Vistara.
The First Indian To Fly An F16 Flying Falcon
Not everyone would be aware of this fact- Ratan Tata had a valid pilot license for both jets and helicopters. He even co-piloted a Lockheed Martin F16 Flying Falcon fighter jet in 2007. The US Defence contractor invited him to fly the jet during the Aero India Show in Bengaluru, for half an hour. Tata was 69 then.
Love For Dogs
Since his childhood, Tata loved dogs. He had immense compassion towards stray dogs and used to often work towards improving their lives and existence. He used to raise dogs at his place and had a deep connection with his late dog Tito. He founded the Small Animal Hospital Mumbai (SAHM) to ensure 24/7 healthcare for pets.
Ratan Tata also encouraged people to adopt stray dogs rather than buying them. Tata Group offices, Bombay House – the Tata Group HQ and the Taj Mahal Hotel all provide shelter to stray dogs and ensure their safety. The industrialist owned an Indigo Marina, just for his outings with dogs. He had once rescued an injured puppy from Goa and nursed it back to health at the Bombay house.
He Was Never Married
You might already know this. Tata was never married. At a young age, he once found his love, while working in LA. He soon had to return to India to be with his grandma, before things took a turn. He went back to the US and wanted to bring her to India for the wedding. But her parent disagreed to make the move due to the Indo-China wars that were strong back then. The relationship soon fell apart. The business mogul had other relationships but could never find the right partner for life.
Piling Accolades
He received several highly respected honours and accolades, including Padma Vibhushan, Honorary Doctor of Business Administration, Medal of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, Honorary Doctor of Technology, Responsible Capitalism Award, Sayaji Ratna Award, Assam Baibhav and many more.
He Was Ragged For having Divorced Parents
Ratan was 10 when Naval Tata and his wife got divorced. Even while he described his childhood as happy, once admitted to Humans of Bombay that he had faced struggles related to the divorce of his parents.
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