Ratan Tata, chairman emeritus of one of India's biggest conglomerates, Tata Sons, died at the age of 86 on Wednesday night. The entire nation is mourning his death. He was one of the most influential businessmen in the country who left behind a legacy that has significantly shaped the Indian industry.
His body has been kept at the National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA) in south Mumbai from 10 am to 4 pm for people to pay respects. His funeral will begin at 3.30 pm at Worli crematorium. He is being honoured in India and abroad. Let's take a look at his career and accomplishments.
Grandmother raised Ratan Tata
Ratan Tata was born in Mumbai to Soonu Commissariat and Naval Tata. In 1948, When Ratan Tata was 10 years old, his parents separated, and he was subsequently raised and adopted by his grandmother, Navajbai Tata. He was raised alongside his stepbrother, Noel Tata, who is the son of Naval Tata and Simone Tata.
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A look at Ratan Tata's education and career:
- Ratan Tata received his early education (nursery to class 8) from Mumbai's Campion School, then, Shimla's Bishop Cotton School, and finished at Cathedral and John Connon School in Mumbai.
- After completing his high school education, he moved to the US in 1955 to study architecture and engineering at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. In 1962, he was awarded a Bachelor of Architecture (BArch) degree.
- After returning to India in 1962, he worked on the shop floor at the family-run group. After that, he underwent a 6-month training at the Jamshedpur plant of Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company, which is now known as Tata Motors.
- He gained experience in several Tata Group firms before being named director in charge of one of them, the National Radio and Electronics Co. in 1971.
- In 963, he joined the training program of Tata Iron and Steel Company or TISCO which is now known as Tata Steel at Jamshedpur. After two years of training, he was appointed as a technical officer in the engineering division of TISCO. He then went to Australia for 2 years as a resident representative of the Tata Group.
- In 1971, he became the direct in-charge of National Radio and Electronics (NELCO) and began his first independent leadership mission.
- He joined the board of Tata Sons in 1974 and completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School in 1975.
- In 1981, he was appointed as the chairman of Tata Industries. Between 1986 and 1989, he served as the chairman of Air India.
- On 21 March 1991, he took over the post of chairman of Tata Sons and Tata Trusts from JRD Tata.
- Under his leadership, Tata Group expanded globally and acquired many major companies, including big names like Tetley, Corus, Jaguar Land Rover, Brunner Mond, General Chemical Industrial Products and Daewoo.
- In the year 2008, the Government of India honoured Ratan Tata with the country's second-highest civilian award, Padma Vibhushan.
- In December 2012, he resigned from the post of Chairman of Tata Sons and was appointed Honorary Chairman (Emeritus Chairman) of Tata Sons.
