Tata Group's chairman Ratan Tata ,86, who died in Mumbai on Wednesday, was India's most respected businessmen. He was known not just for his contributions to the world of business, but also for his philanthropy.
The news of Ratan Tata being hospitalised has been circulating since Monday. On October 7, he even assured Indian citizens that there is 'no cause of concern'. He had revealed in a statement that he was receiving medical check-ups due to his age, and medical-related conditions.
Here are eight facts about his life.
1. Ratan Tata was Born on December 28, 1937, before India got Independence. Ratan Tata was the son of Naval Tata, who was adopted by Ratanji Tata, son of Jamsetji Tata, the founding father of India's largest conglomerate Tata Group.
2. Ratan joined Tata Group in 1961, and took his first job on the shop floor of Tata Steel after his graduation from Cornell University College of Architecture with a bachelor's degree in architecture.
3. In 1991, he stepped into the shoes of JRD as chairman after the latter's retirement. Ratan Tata gradually rose to fame and also became known as philanthropist due to activities through the Tata Group of companies.
4. Ratan Tata's last position in Tata was as emeritus chairman. He served as chairman of Tata Group from 1990 to 2012 and also took the role of interim chairman from October 2016 to February 2017.
5. With Ratan Tata at the helm, the Tata Group acquired Tetley, Jaguar Land Rover, and Corus, in an attempt to turn Tata from a largely India-centric group into a global business.
6. Tata is also one of the largest philanthropists in the world, having donated around 60-65% of his income to charity. During the 21 years Tata led the Tata Group, revenues grew over 40 times, and profit over 50 times, as per Wikipedia.
7. Ratan Tata had continued to head its charitable trusts. He was awarded with prestigious awards such as Padma Vibhushan, the second highest civilian honour in India in 2008, after he received the Padma Bhushan, the third highest civilian honour in 2000.
8. Not just Tata Group, Ratan Tata believed in sharing his intellectuals and helping build the youth of India's future. So far, he had invested in about 30 start-ups, through his personal capacity and some through his investment company.
