Interesting facts about Ratan Tata
Ratan Naval Tata was born on 28 of December, 1937 in Surat, Gujarat. He is the former chairman of Tata Sons, which is one of the two holding companies of the Tata group. He, during his tenure as the chairman, took the group’s revenue to unbelievable heights. He is today known as one of India’s leading industrialist and someone who is a brilliant entrepreneur and investor.
Foreign Degrees
Ratan Tata did his schooling from the Bishop Cotton School, Shimla and Cathedral and John Connon School, Mumbai. He then went on to get a bachelor’s degree in Architecture from Cornell University, New York and further completed his Advanced Management Program from the very prestigious Harvard Business School.
Wealthier Than the Richest?
Ratan Tata is said to be richer than the likes of Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos but is never named in any “Richest persons of…” lists. This is because 65% of the group’s fortune is given away as charity to various charitable organizations and very little is added to Mr. Tata’s personal financial accounts.
Donation to His Alma Mater
In 2010, Ratan Tata through the Tata group donated $50 million (₹2.2 billion) to his alma mater, the Harvard Business School. The money was used to construct an academic block devoted to the Harvard Business School’s mid-career Executive Education programs. The amount received by the institution is the largest from an international donor.
Honorary Doctorates
Ratan Tata has double digit honorary doctorates from many prestigious universities from around the world like the Yale University and the London School of Economics and Political Science. Also he has received citizen honors and awards for excellence from nations like the United Kingdom, France and Italy.
Passion for Cars
From driving owned cars himself to acquiring motor giants like Jaguar Land Rover, one can perceive the love Ratan Tata has for cars. He is seen driving his cars like his red Ferrari California and other luxurious cars he owns rather than sitting on the backseat. The acquisition of Jaguar Land Rover Automotive by the Tata Group came in the same year in which Ratan Tata’s dream car Nano was showcased in the Delhi Auto Expo. Nano was labelled by Mr. Tata as the “People’s car” because of its cheap price tag.
Keen Aviator
Apart from being a passionate car enthusiast, Ratan Tata is also a trained pilot. J.R.D. Tata, the chairman of Tata group before Ratan Tata was India’s first qualified pilot and his passion was passed on to Ratan Tata. He sealed a deal with AirAsia when he flew their chief executive officer in a private jet to Delhi.
He is really the “ratan” of India from controlling the tea industry to the steel industry, the man has done wonders for the Tata group’s business in every possible sphere and made the company a global brand. His personality and attitude can be summed up in his own words through his quote, “I don’t believe in taking right decisions… I take decisions and then make them right.”
Featured Image Source: Bloomberg
Team at World Infi