Getty ImagesIndian business tycoon Ratan Tata has died at the age of 86, the Tata Group, the conglomerate he led for more than 20 years, has announced.
Tata was one of India’s most internationally recognized business leaders.
The Tata Group is one of India’s largest companies, with annual revenues of more than $100 billion (£76.5 billion).
In a statement announcing Tata’s death, Tata Sons’ current chairman described him as “a truly rare leader.”
“On behalf of the entire Tata family, I would like to express our deepest condolences to his loved ones,” Natarajan Chandrasekaran said.
“His legacy will continue to inspire us as we strive to uphold the principles he passionately championed.”
During his tenure as Tata Group chairman, the conglomerate made several high-profile acquisitions, including Anglo-Dutch steelmaker Corus, UK-based car brands Jaguar and Land Rover, and the world’s second largest tea company, Tetley. went.
British Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds praised Tata as a “giant of business” who “played a huge role in shaping British industry”.
A 2011 profile in The Economist called Tata a “giant” and credited him with turning his family group into a “global powerhouse.”
The magazine said: “The group that bears his family name owns less than 1% of the shares, but he is still a giant: India’s most powerful businessman and one of the world’s most influential businessmen. ” he said.
In 2012, he stepped down as group chairman and was appointed honorary chairman of the group holding company Tata Sons.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised Tata as a “visionary business leader, a caring soul and an extraordinary human being.”
Prime Minister Modi paid tribute to X, formerly known as Twitter, and spoke of his “countless interactions” with Tata and said he was “deeply saddened” by his death.
Tata was born in 1937 into a traditional Parsi family. He studied architecture and structural engineering at Cornell University in the United States.
In 1962, he joined the group’s promoter company, Tata Industries, as an assistant and was trained for six months at its factory in Jamshedpur.
From here, he went on to work for Tata Steel Company (now Tata Steel), Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), and National Radio and Electronics (Nelco).
In 1991, JRD Tata, who had led the group for over half a century, appointed Ratan Tata as his successor. “He (JRD Tata) was my biggest mentor…He was like a father and a brother to me. It’s not talked about enough,” Tata later told an interviewer. spoke.
In 2008, the Indian government awarded him the Padma Vibhushan, the country’s second highest civilian honor.
Peter Casey, author of The Tata Story, described Tata as “a modest, unassuming, even shy man” with “regal calm” and “severe discipline.”
In 2016, he was embroiled in a rare and nasty controversy when his successor as Tata Sons chairman, Cyrus Mistry, was ousted from his post and entered into a bitter feud with management. Mistry died in a car accident in 2022.
The businessman also had a bright side. His love for fast cars and airplanes is well known, with the Tata Group’s website describing these as some of his “eternal passions”.
Tata was also an avid scuba diver, but that hobby faded as he got older because his “ears couldn’t handle the pressure anymore.”
He was also a dog lover and fondly remembered the many pets that accompanied him over the decades.
“My love for dogs as pets has never been stronger and will continue as long as I live,” the businessman said in a 2021 interview.
“Every time a pet dies, there is an indescribable sadness and a determination that I can never live without a pet again. And yet, after a few years, the house is empty and quiet. ‘Without them, I have another dog that gets my love and attention just like the last one,’ he said.
He was also often praised for his simplicity. In 2022, a video of him traveling in a Nano car (one of the world’s cheapest cars and now mostly remembered as one of Tata’s thwarted dreams) goes viral on social media. Ta.
