A titan of industry and philanthropist, Ratan Tata touched lives of millions

Ratan N Tata was among Indias most respected and loved industralists who took Tata Group to new heights and touched the fabric of the nation through his contributions across different areas including philanthropyOne of the most internationally wellknown Indian business leader Ratan Tata was known for his humility and compassion while also his vision business acumen integrity and ethical leadershipHe was awarded Padma Vibhushan the countrys secondhighest civilian honour in 2008He took over as Chairman of Tata Sons and Chairman of the Tata Trusts in 1991 a year when Indias economy opened up through a series of economic reforms He made use of the opportunities it presented while dealing with challengesHe served as the chairman of Tata Group for more than two decades till he retired in 2012Born to Naval and Soonoo Tata on December 28 1937 Ratan Tata and his younger brother Jimmy were brought up by their grandmother Navajbai R Tata in a baroque manor called Tata Palace in downtown MumbaiRatan Tata left for Cornell University in the United States at age 17 and studied architecture and engineering over a sevenyear period He was awarded bachelor of architecture degree in 1962His years in America from 1955 to 1962 influenced him tremendously He travelled the country and was charmed by California and that West Coast lifestyle he was ready to settle down in Los AngelesThe spell was broken when Navajbais health deteriorated and he was forced to return to a life he thought he had left behindBack in India Ratan Tata had a job offer from IBM Jehangir Ratanji Dadabhoy JRD Tata was not amused and after Ratan Tata sent a resume was offered a job in 1962 with Tata Industries the promoter company of the group Ratan Tata spent six months at Telco now called Tata Motors before joining Tisco now Tata Steel in 1963He was appointed technical officer in Tiscos engineering division in 1965 and in 1969 worked as the Tata groups resident representative in AustraliaIn 1970 Ratan Tata returned to India and joined Tata Consultancy Services then a software fledgling for a short stint and became the director of National Radio and Electronics NELCO in 1971He joined the board of Tata Sons as a director in 1974 A year later he completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business SchoolRatan Tata was appointed Chairman of Tata Industries in 1981 and began the process of transforming it into a promoter of hightechnology businesses He drafted Tata strategic plan in 1983 From 1986 to 1989 he served as Chairman of Air India the national carrierRatan Tata began restructuring of Tata group in 1991 and from 2000 onwards the growth and globalisation drive of the Tata group gathered pace under his stewardshipThe new millennium saw a string of highprofile Tata acquisitions among them Tetley Corus Jaguar Land Rover Brunner Mond General Chemical Industrial Products and DaewooIn 2008 he launched the Tata Nano The launch of worlds most easyonpocket car made headlines globally He guided and commanded with zeal and determination the trailblazing small car project He said everyone had been referring to the Nano as a 1 lakh car and noted that a promise was a promise He announced that the Nano base variant would be priced at Rs 1 lakh exfactoryRatan Tata stepped down as Chairman of Tata Sons after 50 years with the Tata group and was appointed Chairman Emeritus of Tata SonsRatan Tata inspired by example and had a commitment to excellence and innovationN Chandrasekaran Chairman Tata Sons said that Tata Group under the stewardship of Ratan Tata expanded its global footprint while remaining true to its moral compassMr Tatas dedication to philanthropy and the development of society has touched the lives of millions From education to healthcare his initiatives have left a deeprooted mark that will benefit generations to come Reinforcing all of this work was Mr Tatas genuine humility in every individual interaction he said in his tributesPeople across various sections of life leaders cutting across the political spectrum and industralists in India and abroad paid glowing tributes to Ratan Tata who passed away on Wednesday eveningThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever