Ratan Tata turns 84: Here are the top ten unknown and fascinating facts about the legendary industrialist

Ratan Tata, the emeritus chairman of Tata Sons, celebrated his 84th birthday today. He is a prosperous industrialist who is also well-known for his generosity, which has gained him national and international accolades and acclaim. Ratan Tata has also earned two of India’s highest civilian honors, the Padma Vibhushan (2008) and the Padma Bhushan (2000), for his incalculable contributions to the country’s development.

Ratan Tata’s success and accomplishments are well-known, but we’ve included some lesser-known facts about him below. Take a look at this:

1. Ratan Tata was born in 1937, and his father was Naval Tata, who was adopted by Ratanji Tata, the son of Jamsetji Tata, the Tata group’s founder. Naval Tata was considered to be biologically linked to the Tata family because his biological maternal grandmother was Hirabai Tata, Jamshedji Tata’s wife, and his biological grandfather Hormusji Tata was a member of a larger Tata family.

2. Ratan Tata’s parents divorced when he was 10 years old, in 1948. Navajbai Tata, Ratanji Tata’s wife, raised him.

3. Ratan Tata joined the Tata group in 1961, and his first role was as a shop floor manager at Tata Steel. Later, he completed his education at Harvard Business School. Ratan Tata attended Cornell University’s College of Architecture and is a graduate of the institution.

4. In 2004, during his leadership, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) went public. After acquiring Anglo-Dutch steelmaker Corus, British automobile manufacturer Jaguar Land Rover, and British tea brand Tetley under Ratan Tata’s leadership, the group gained international notoriety.

5. In 2009, Ratan Tata stated that he would build the cheapest car that the country’s middle class could buy. He kept his word and launched the Tata Nano, a car that costs Rs 1 lakh.

6. The chairman emeritus of Tata Sons is also well-known for his philanthropy. Under his supervision, the Tata Education and Development Trust, a philanthropic arm of the Tata company, established a $28 million Tata Scholarship Fund to help Indian undergraduate students at Cornell University.

7. In 2010, Tata group companies and Tata charities contributed $50 million to the establishment of Tata Hall, a Harvard Business School executive facility (HBS).

8. In 2014, the Tata Group made a Rs 95 crore donation to the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, and established the Tata Center for Technology and Design (TCTD) to create design and engineering principles that are appropriate for the requirements of individuals and communities with little resources. It is said to be the greatest grant ever received by the institute.

9. Ratan Tata is a licensed pilot with experience. He flew an F-16 Falcon in 2007.

10. Ratan Tata is not married, however, he has claimed that he was on the verge of marriage four times.

Source: moneycontrol.com