Ratan Tata passes away, heres why he remained single
Ratan Tata, one of India's prominent industrialists, passed away at Breach Candy Hospital in Mumbai, where he was admitted for a routine check-up. Prior to his hospitalization, Tata had assured his followers through a statement that his health was fine and there was no cause for concern.
Ratan Tata needs no introduction. As a distinguished entrepreneur and the honorary chairman of Tata Sons, he was known for his remarkable contributions to society. Here are some interesting and lesser-known stories about the 86-year-old businessman.
In 1948, when Ratan Tata was just ten years old, his parents divorced, and he was raised by his grandmother, Nawazbai Tata. It’s worth noting that Ratan Tata remained unmarried throughout his life. Interestingly, he came close to marrying four times but never went through with it for various reasons. In an interview with ‘Humans of Bombay,’ he openly discussed his differences with his father, Naval Tata. They were not very close, and their disagreements spanned several topics. As a child, Ratan wanted to learn the violin, while his father preferred that he learn the piano. Additionally, Ratan aspired to study in the U.S., whereas his father wanted him to go to the U.K. Ratan aimed to become an architect, but his father insisted he pursue engineering.
He once admitted that while working in Los Angeles, he fell in love. However, due to the 1962 India-China war, the girl’s parents were against her traveling to India, which ultimately led him to remain single. After that, he immersed himself in the business world, leaving little time to think about his personal life.
Ratan Tata first became the chairman of Tata Sons in 1991, succeeding J.R.D. Tata, who had previously led the company. J.R.D. had entrusted decision-making to three individuals, but when Ratan took over, he decided to change the leadership structure by removing them, believing they had monopolized control over the company.
He also introduced a retirement policy mandating that any board director must retire at the age of 75. Following the implementation of this policy, the first three directors had to step down.
In 2009, Tata promised to create the most affordable car for the middle class in India, and he fulfilled this promise by launching the Tata Nano at ₹1 lakh. He was also known for his charitable initiatives; under his leadership, the Tata Group established a $28 million Tata Scholarship Fund at Cornell University to provide financial assistance to graduate students in India.