Ratan Tata Biography: Birth, Age, Education, Family, Successor, Net Worth, Awards, and Wiki profile

by shubham

Ratan Tata Biography

Birth28 December 1937
Age86 years (on 2023)
EducationCornell University Harvard Business School
FamilyNaval Tata (Father) Sooni Commissariat (Mother)
OccupationFormer Chairperson of Tata Sons and Tata Group Philanthropist Investor
TitleChairman Emeritus, Tata Sons and Tata Group
PredecessorJRD Tata
SuccessorCyrus Mistry (2012)Natarajan Chandrasekaran (2017–present)
AwardsPadma Vibhushan (2008)Padma Bhushan (2000)
Net WorthRs. 6000 crores
Famous Quotes“I don’t believe in taking the right decisions. I take decisions and then make them right.” “Power and wealth are not two of my main stakes.”

Ratan Tata Early Life

On December 28, 1937, Ratan Tata was born to Naval and Sonoo Tata in Bombay. Ratanji Tata, Jamsetji Tata’s younger son, adopted Naval Tata as his son. When Ratan was ten years old, his parents divorced. His grandmother, Navajbai Tata, reared him and his half-brother, Noel Tata.

Ratan Tata Education

He went to Campion School in Bombay (then) till 8th grade, then moved to Cathedral and John Connon Schools in Bombay and Bishop Cotton School in Shimla for further academic activities. After finishing his academic education, in 1955, he graduated from Riverdale Country School placed in New York City. After four years at Cornell University, he earned a bachelor’s degree in architecture. He enrolled in the seven-week Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School in 1975, which he has been financially supporting yet.

Ratan Tata Biography

Ratan Tata Career

He began his career as a mining worker from his own firm in 1962, which is somewhat stunning. Along with the other laborers, he shoveled stones and worked on the furnaces. It was physically difficult work, but it taught him more about his parent’s business and helped him value it. Ratan took over as chairman of Tata Sons after J.R.D. Tata stepped down in 1991.

Due to the freedom to operate under JRD Tata, he had to encounter significant opposition from the CEOs of several organizations, who proceeded to become highly strong. Although, he overcame all those resistance. Research, or innovation, was given a high emphasis under his administration, and the younger generation was handed the majority of the tasks.

Tata Group prospered the greatest during his supervision of 21 years, with revenues rising by 40% and profit increasing by 50%. His daring investments of major multinational corporations like Jaguar, Tetley & Land Rover, and Corus Steel, among others, significantly influenced the Indian industrial sector and the global industrial sector.

Major Contribution

  1. Ratan Naval Tata with his team leads to acquiring international exposure and a reputation for his business as Chairman of the Tata Group. Under his leadership, the firm also grew into a multinational company by purchasing companies such as Jaguar, Tetley, Land Rover, and Corus. The Tata Group was listed on the New York Stock Exchange due to its remarkable business success.
  2. He was a key figure in developing the Tata Nano and Tata Indica We can understand his dedication to the work that he tried to do even for the common people, as he introduced TATA NANO so that it could be affordable to most households.
  3. One of his life’s main aims was to improve the quality of life for Indians while also advancing human growth. He is also a well-known philanthropist, with charity trusts accounting for almost 65 percent of his holdings. We will see those contributions in detail below.

Philanthropic Work of Ratan Tata

Being a supporter of education, medicine, and rural development, Ratan Tata supported the University of New South Wales Faculty of Engineering to provide improved water for challenged areas.

Tata Education and Development Trust endowed a $28  million Tata Scholarship Fund that will allow Cornell University to provide financial aid to undergraduate students from India. The annual scholarship will support approximately 20 students at a given time. 

Tata Group companies and Tata charities donated $50 million in 2010 to Harvard Business School (HBS) for the construction of an executive center.

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) donated $35 million to Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) for a facility to research cognitive systems and autonomous vehicles. It is the largest ever donation by a company and the 48,000 square-foot building is called TCS Hall.

Also read: Biography of Mukesh Ambani

Biography of Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam

Ratan Tata Awards 

Ratan Tata was awarded many notable awards and honors. Some of them are mentioned below: 

YearNameAwarding Organization
2000Padma BhushanGovernment of India
2008Padma VibhushanGovernment of India
2001Honorary Doctor of Business AdministrationOhio State University
2004Medal of the Oriental Republic of UruguayGovernment of Uruguay
2004Honorary Doctor of TechnologyAsian Institute of Technology.
2005International Distinguished Achievement AwardB’nai B’rith International
2005Honorary Doctor of ScienceUniversity of Warwick.
2006Honorary Doctor of ScienceIndian Institute of Technology Madras
2006Responsible Capitalism AwardFor Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST)
2007Honorary FellowshipThe London School of Economics and Political Science
2007Carnegie Medal of PhilanthropyCarnegie Endowment for International Peace
2008Honorary Doctor of LawUniversity of Cambridge
2008Honorary Doctor of ScienceIndian Institute of Technology Bombay
2008Honorary Doctor of ScienceIndian Institute of Technology Kharagpur
2008Honorary Citizen AwardGovernment of Singapore
2008Honorary FellowshipThe Institution of Engineering and Technology
2008Inspired Leadership AwardThe Performance Theatre
2009Honorary Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE)Queen Elizabeth II
2009Life Time Contribution Award in Engineering for 2008Indian National Academy of Engineering
2009Grand Officer of the Order of Merit of the Italian RepublicGovernment of Italy
2010Honorary Doctor of LawUniversity of Cambridge
2010Hadrian AwardWorld Monuments Fund
2010Oslo Business for Peace awardBusiness for Peace Foundation
2010Legend in Leadership AwardYale University
2010Honorary Doctor of LawsPepperdine University
2010Business for Peace AwardBusiness for Peace Foundation
2010Business Leader of the YearThe Asian Awards.
2012Honorary FellowThe Royal Academy of Engineering
2012Doctor of Business honoris causaUniversity of New South Wales
2012Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising SunGovernment of Japan
2013Foreign AssociateNational Academy of Engineering
2013Transformational Leader of the DecadeIndian Affairs India Leadership Conclave 2013
2013Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year – Lifetime AchievementErnst & Young
2013Honorary Doctor of Business PracticeCarnegie Mellon University
2014Honorary Doctor of BusinessSingapore Management University
2014Sayaji Ratna AwardBaroda Management Association
2014Honorary Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire (GBE)Queen Elizabeth II
2014Honorary Doctor of LawsYork University, Canada
2015Honorary Doctor of Automotive EngineeringClemson University
2015Sayaji Ratna AwardBaroda Management Association, Honoris Causa, HEC Paris
2016Commander of the Legion of HonourGovernment of France
2018Honorary DoctorateSwansea University
2021Assam BaibhavGovernment of Assam

Ratan Tata Net Worth

Mr. Ratan Tata’s net worth is one billion dollars or around 7416 crore rupees in Indian currency. Mr. Ratan Tata’s entire net worth comprises a significant amount of money from many sources. Even though Ratan Tata is not included in the list of billionaires because charity organizations control 65 percent of TATA Sons, which is also the holding company for the other 96 TATA Group subsidiaries companies. As a result, Ratan Tata’s 65 percent ownership of Tata Sons Limited is not recorded on his financial statement but rather on the financial statements of several philanthropic organizations.

Learning, That We Can Have From Ratan Tata

We can learn to be unrestrained by boundaries. Despite strong opposition, Ratan Tata promoted international trade. And now, international earnings account for half of Tata’s total revenue. Jaguar Land Rover, Tetley, and Taj Boston were all bought by Tata under his tenure. This was more than a business transaction, it was a signal to the world that an Indian corporation can buy major multinational companies if it desires so.

He began his career at Tata Steel as a blue-collar worker. He is well-known for his modesty, which can be seen on several occasions. He visited the 80 employees whose families were impacted by the terrorist attacks on November 26, 2008. He knew almost everyone’s first name and was never rude.

Ratan Tata Social Profile

Ratan Tata Instagram

Ratan Tata In Twitter

FAQs Related to Ratan Tata

Who has become the first non Parsi chairman of TATA Sons?

TCS MD and CEO, N Chandrasekaran has been appointed Chairman of TATA Sons. He is expected to take charge on Feb 21, 2017.

Who has been nominated as Chairman of Board of Directors of TATA Power?

Tata Power has said that S Padmanabhan has been nominated as chairman of the board of directors of the company.

Which Indian business leader was awarded the highest honour by the city of Coventry on 1st October 2015?

Coventry on 1st October 2015 honoured Ratan Tata with the highest award – Honorary Freeman of the City of Coventry. Since 1914, only 13 people have been conferred with the award.

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