Ratan Tata- Biography

Ratan Tata is an Indian chairman of Tata Sons. He was the chairman of the Tata Group from 1990 to 2012 and interim chairman from October 2016 to February 2017. He is a dedicated philanthropist and heads the company’s charitable trust, and more than half of its profits are donated to various charitable initiatives. He was awarded the second and third highest civilian awards in India – the Padma Bhushan – in 2000 and the Padma Vibhushan – in 2008.

Ratan Tata – Important Details

Name – Ratan Naval Tata
Date of Birth – 28 December 1937
Born – Bombay, Bombay Presidency, British India
(Present-day Mumbai, Maharashtra, India)
Alma Mater – Cornell University (BArch)
Occupation – Industrialist, philanthropist, and investor
Position – Honorary Chairman of Tata Sons and Tata Group
Tenure – (1991–2012) and (2016–2017)
Predecessor – JRD Tata
Parents – Naval Tata
Relatives – Tata family

Childhood and early life

Ratan Tata was born on 28 December 1937 to Naval Tata and Sonu Tata. He has a brother Jimmy and a half-brother Noel Tata. His parents separated when Ratan Tata was 10 years old. Both brothers were raised by their grandmother Navajbai Tata. His early schooling was at Campion School and John Connon School in Mumbai. He received his degree in architecture with structural engineering from Cornell University, USA.

The company was going through a period of financial crisis. Ratan Tata worked hard to create a better consumer electronics division, but the economic downturn and union issues did not prove successful.

In 1977, he was transferred to Empress Mills, another struggling unit of the Tata Group. He made a plan for the revival of the mill, but it was rejected by other company officials and the mill was closed. Ratan Tata was again transferred to Tata Industries.

In 1991, JRD Tata appointed Ratan Tata as the chairman of the Tata Group. There were objections from other officials amid concern about his ability to handle responsibilities. After coming to the helm of the Tata Group, Ratan Tata successfully improved the overall condition of the organization. He revised the management and approach of the division and also managed to increase dividends. During this period, he was also a member of the Prime Minister’s Council on Trade and Industry. He was on RAND’s Advisory Board for Asia Pacific Policy.

He is an active member of India’s AIDS Initiative Program.

He is also a member of the International Advisory Board of Mitsubishi Corporation, JPMorgan Chase, Booz Allen Hamilton, and American International Group.

In December 2012, on his 75th birthday, Ratan Tata resigned as the Chairman of the Tata Group. Cyrus Mistry, Managing Director of the Shapoorji Pallonji Group, became the new Chairman of the Tata Group. He is a dedicated philanthropist and contributes significantly to various charitable causes in the country.

Ratan Tata – Major Achievements
As the chairman of the Tata Group, he took the company to such heights that it was recognized prestigiously at the international level. Under his leadership, the Tata Group became a global brand with the acquisition of companies such as Corus, Jaguar Land Rover, and Tetley. The Tata Nano and Tata Indica automobiles were conceived and created under his leadership.

A major philanthropist, he has invested more than 65 percent of his share in charitable trusts. One of the major goals of his life is to give Indians a better standard of living and ensure human development.