My marriage was called off due to Indo-China war, recalls Ratan Tata

Veteran industrialist Ratan Tata shared details of his personal life and also recalled teachings of his grandmother. He credited her for making him learn that courage to speak up can also be 'soft and dignified'.

Mumbai: Former Chairman of Tata Group Ratan Tata’s marriage was called off because of the 1962 Indo-China war.

Sharing his thoughts to Humans of Bombay, the veteran industrialist said that it was in Los Angeles that he fell in love and almost got married.

Young Ratan Tata during his student days.

As his grandmother wasn’t keeping well for a long time, Tata came back to visit her in India.

“So I came back to visit her and thought that the person I wanted to marry would come to India with me, but because of the 1962 Indo-China war her parents weren’t okay with her making the move anymore, and the relationship fell apart,” Tata said candidly.

Tata also shared details of his personal life and recalled teachings of his grandmother and credited her for making him learn that courage to speak up can also be soft and dignified.

Ratan Tata with his grandmother (Source: Officialhumansofbombay)

"Soon after when my mother remarried, the boys at school started saying all kinds of things about us -- constantly and aggressively. But our grandmother taught us to retain dignity at all costs, a value that’s stayed with me until today,” Tata added.

"I still remember, after WW2, she took my brother and I for summer holidays to London. It was there that the values were really hammered in. She’d tell us, ‘don’t say this’ or ‘keep quiet about that’ and that’s where, ‘dignity above everything else’ really embedded in our minds," recalled Tata.