Ratan Tata is among the most well-known business tycoons India has ever produced. Ratan Tata is a name that is synonymous with honesty, leadership, and forward-thinking. He is respected not only for his business sense but also for his humility and charitable activities. In his capacity as the former chairman of Tata Sons, he was instrumental in redefining Indian entrepreneurship internationally, leading transformative acquisitions, and extending the Tata Group‘s global reach.
Ratan Tata Biography
Ratan Naval Tata was born on December 28th 1937, in Bombay, British India. He was of Indian nationality and was a Parsi. Ratan Tata remained single. He passed away in the Breach Candy Hospital in Mumbai on October 9, 2024, from old age.
| Attributes | Details |
| Name | Ratan Naval Tata |
| Date of Birth | 28th of December 1937 |
| Place of Birth | Bombay, British India |
| Date of Death | 9th of October, 2024 |
| Place of Death | Breach Candy Hospital, Mumbai |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Religion | Parsi |
| Profession | Industrialist, Philanthropist |
| Marital Status | Unmarried |
Ratan Tata Age and Appearance
Ratan Tata was 86 years old at the time of his death. He was a tall man with a height of 5 ft 10 inches. and weighed around 75 kg. He had brown eyes and gray hair.
| Appearance | Details |
| Age | 86 years old (at the time of death) |
| Height | 5 feet 10 inches |
| Height (in cm) | 178 cm |
| Weight | 75 kg |
| Weight (in lbs) | 165 lbs |
| Hair Colour | Grey |
| Eye Colour | Brown |
Ratan Tata Family and Early Life
Ratan Tata’s parents were Naval Tata (born in Surat and later adopted into the Tata family) and Soonoo Tata, niece of Jamsetji Tata, the founder of the Tata group. Hormusji Tata, Ratan’s biological grandpa, was a blood relative of the Tata family. When Tata was ten years old in 1948, his parents divorced, and he was raised by his grandmother, Navajbai Tata. He has two half-sisters, Deanna and Shireen Jeejebhoy, from Soonoo Tata’s second marriage. He also had a half-brother named Noel Tata and a younger brother named Jimmy Tata from Naval Tata’s second marriage to his stepmother, Simone Tata.
| Family Members | Names |
| Father | Naval Tata |
| Mother | Soonoo Tata |
| Grandfather | Hormusji Tata |
| Grandmother | Navajbai Tata |
| Half-sisters | Shireen JeejebhoyDeanna Jeejebhoy |
| Half-brother | Noel Tata |
| Younger brother | Jimmy Tata |
Ratan Tata Education
Tata finished the eighth grade at Mumbai’s Campion School. He went to the Cathedral and John Connon School in Mumbai, the Bishop Cotton School in Shimla, and the Riverdale Country School in New York City, where he graduated in 1955. Tata attended Cornell University after high school and earned a bachelor’s degree in architecture there in 1962. At Cornell, he later became a member of the fraternity Alpha Sigma Phi. With his $50 million gift to Cornell in 2008, Tata became the school’s biggest foreign contributor ever.
Ratan Tata Career
Ratan Tata was appointed manager of the Tata group in the 1970s. At first, he was able to turn around the subsidiary National Radio and Electronics (NELCO), but it failed as the economy declined. Following his appointment as chairman of Tata Sons in 1991, he was designated as J. R. D. Tata’s successor. At first, Tata encountered strong opposition from the leaders of several subsidiaries, who had considerable operational autonomy during the older Tata’s leadership. In response, Tata put in place a variety of measures aimed at consolidating control, such as setting a retirement age, requiring subsidiaries to report directly to the group headquarters and mandating them to use their profits to strengthen the Tata group’s reputation.
Revenue and profit increased by more than 40 and 50 times, respectively, during the 21 years that Tata managed the Tata Group. Sales were mostly commodity sales when he took over the firm, but at the conclusion of his term, brands accounted for the bulk of sales. He arranged for Tata Steel to buy Corus, Tata Tea to buy Tetley, and Tata Motors to buy Jaguar Land Rover. Through these purchases, Tata was transformed from a conglomerate that was primarily focused on India into a multinational corporation, with operations and sales abroad accounting for more than 65% of total revenues.
When Ratan Tata retired as chairman of Tata Sons in December 2012, Cyrus Mistry assumed the role. He continued to serve in advisory and charitable capacities, nevertheless.
Ratan Tata Investments
Tata has also made investments in a number of businesses, which also includes Snapdeal, a leading e-commerce company in India. In January 2016, he invested in Teabox, an online seller of premium Indian tea and CashKaro.com, a website that provides discount coupons and cash-back incentives. He had made modest investments in Indian startups and late-stage businesses, including INR 0.95 Cr in Ola Cabs.
In April 2015, it was revealed that Tata had acquired equity in the Chinese smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi. In 2016, he made an investment in Nestaway, an online real estate marketplace. Following that, he acquired Zenify, a property management service company and launched Dogspot, an online platform for pet care. Tata launched the Goodfellows senior companionship program to foster relationships between generations.
Ratan Tata Net Worth
Ratan Tata’s estimated net worth at the time of his death was $450 million in 2024 or INR 3800 crore. One of Ratan Tata’s personal properties was a three-story home he designed that faced the sea and was located in Mumbai’s Colaba neighborhood. According to Jagran Josh, A Ferrari California, Honda Civic, Land Rover Freelander, Maserati Quattroporte, Cadillac XLR, Mercedes-Benz 500 SL, Chrysler Sebring, Mercedes-Benz S-Class, Jaguar F-Type, and Jaguar XF-R were among his many vehicles, which demonstrated his passion for automobiles.
Dividends from Tata Group companies, investment returns and payment for his positions on different boards and within the group were his main sources of income. He was renowned for his substantial charitable contributions and modest lifestyle, in contrast to many other industrialists.
Ratan Tata Will Distribution
Ratan Tata planned to donate a sizable amount of his fortune, including stock in Tata Group firms like Tata Motors and Tata Sons, to the Tata Group’s Ratan Tata Endowment Foundation (RTEF) and the Ratan Tata Endowment Trust for charitable causes. He also named his brother Jimmy Tata and his half-sisters Shireen and Deanna Jejeebhoy among the beneficiaries in his will.
A third of the residual estate, which includes bank accounts over ₹350 crore (US$41 million) and earnings from the sale of personal belongings, is due to Mohini Mohan Dutta, an entrepreneur from Jamshedpur, and a former employee of the Tata Group. The will name Tata’s executive assistant and protege, Shantanu Naidu. Along with waiving his ₹1 crore (US$120,000) college loan for his MBA courses at Cornell University, Tata also sold his share in Naidu’s companionship business, Goodfellows. A legacy of approximately ₹3.5 crore (US$410,000) would be given to his domestic and office staff, including provisions for long-serving household staff.
Ratan Tata Property and Assets
Among the assets in Tata’s estate are a two-story home in Mumbai, a 2,000-square-foot beach villa in Alibaug, and fixed deposits totalling more than ₹350 crore (US$41 million). The Tata Group may purchase 20 to 30 of Tata’s high-end automobiles for sale or museum exhibition.
Ratan Tata Social Media
Despite his lack of activity, Ratan Tata continued to post snippets of his day on social media.
| Social Media | ID | Followers |
| @ratantata | 10.4 M |
Conclusion
Visionary leadership, moral business conduct and a strong dedication to social responsibility characterized Ratan Tata’s life. While upholding the morals and humility his family had taught him, he turned the Tata Group into a major force in the world. Even though his personal fortune was considerable, it was nothing compared to the contributions he made to society through his business and charitable activities. In addition to the businesses he founded and the inventions he supported, Ratan Tata’s legacy lives on in the innumerable lives he impacted with his vision and generosity. He continues to be a timeless representation of what it means to lead with compassion, integrity and purpose.
FAQs
A1. Ratan Tata was born on the 28th of December, 1937.
A2. Ratan Tata passed away on the 9th of October, 2024.
A3. Ratan Tata’s estimated net worth at the time of his passing was $1.07 billion.
A4.No, Ratan Tata was not married.
A5. Ratan Tata has invested in various startups which includes Ola Cabs, Paytm, Lenskart, Urban Ladder, Snapdeal, FirstCry and many more.
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