Ratan Naval Tata (born 28 December 1937) is an Indian industrialist, philanthropist, and a former chairman of Tata Sons. He was also chairman of Tata Group, from 1990 to 2012, and again, as interim chairman, from October 2016 through February 2017, and continues to head its charitable trusts. If we have to name a businessman who’s a perfect example of leadership, business ethics, and philanthropy, the first name to cross our minds would be “Ratan Tata”. So much is already known to everyone about the business success of Tata Group, the global domination, and Ratan Tata’s major role in it. People look at him not just as a successful business leader but an ideal role model for responsible, authentic, and fundamental leadership.
He has been awarded the two highest civilian awards of India the Padma Vibhushan and Padma Bhushan. Apart from that, he has received countless honors and accolades like Honorary Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE), Honorary Doctor of Law (University of Cambridge), Honorary Knight Grand Cross of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (GBE), and Sayaji Ratna Award to name a few.
He has a strong vision and excellent decision-making skills. When he joined the group, it was barely doing any business outside India. Even though many opposed him, he urged that the company had to go global. Today half of Tata’s revenues come from overseas. During Ratan Tata’s chairmanship of 21 years at Tata Group, revenues grew over 40 times and profit over 50 times. He has acquired major British brands from Jaguar Land Rover and Tetley Tea to Corus steel. At present, Tata owns 19 European companies, Industries ranging from tea to IT, steel to cars, in an attempt to turn Tata from a largely Indiacentrist group into a global business.
Ratan Tata is unbeatable when it comes to fulfilling social responsibility and doing charity. Two-thirds of his central holding company, Tata Sons, is owned by charitable trusts. Philanthropy runs in the family. His great-grandfather Jamsetji was also one of the first global tycoons to identify that a stable business needs to invest as much in human capital as in the latest technologies. His factories were among the first in the world to introduce the eight-hour day, accident and sickness benefits, paid leave & retirement pensions. To end with, one of the most inspiring quotes by Ratan Tata which has inspired so many people: “A life without excitement, ups, and downs is too boring and dull. You need to be a storyteller to your grandchildren, why don’t prepare for that from now? We get this life only once, experience every aspect of it. No one ever has grown without falling once, fail as many times as you can, then only you can succeed. So quit complaining and start exploring.”
