“Thank you for thinking of me”: Adieu Ratan Naval Tata – India’s ‘anmol ratan’

Veteran industrialist, national icon, and chairman emeritus of one of India’s biggest conglomerates, Ratan Naval Tata, has passed away. It is difficult to believe that he is no more, as he has been a steadfast rock in India’s corporate history.

N Chandrasekaran, Chairman, Tata Sons, in a late night statement on Wednesday, announced the death of Tata, stating, “It is with a profound sense of loss that we bid farewell to Mr. Ratan Naval Tata, a truly uncommon leader whose immeasurable contributions have shaped not only the Tata Group but also the very fabric of our nation.”

He further stated, “For the Tata Group, Mr Tata was more than a chairperson. To me, he was a mentor, guide and friend. He inspired by example. With an unwavering commitment to excellence, integrity, and innovation, the Tata Group under his stewardship expanded its global footprint while always remaining true to its moral compass.”

It was in 1991 that Tata became chairman of the $100 billion steel-to-software conglomerate, Tata Sons, and remained in charge till his retirement on December 28, 2012. The group was founded by Tata’s great-grandfather, entrepreneur and philanthropist Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata, more than a hundred years ago.

Effective December 29, 2012, Tata was conferred the honorary title of Chairman Emeritus of Tata Sons, Tata Industries, Tata Motors, Tata Steel and Tata Chemicals. He was the Chairman of the major Tata companies, including Tata Motors, Tata Steel, Tata Consultancy Services, Tata Power, Tata Global Beverages, Tata Chemicals, Indian Hotels and Tata Teleservices and during his tenure, the group’s revenues grew manifold, totalling over $100 billion in 2011-12.

Tata had joined the Tata group in 1962. After serving in various companies, he was appointed Director-in-charge of the National Radio & Electronics Company Limited in 1971. In 1981, he was named Chairman of Tata Industries, the group’s other holding company, where he was responsible for transforming it into a group strategy think-tank, and a promoter of new ventures in high technology businesses.

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