Thursday, Washington, D.C., October 10, 2024
The US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) is deeply saddened by the passing of Mr. Ratan Tata, Chairman Emeritus, Tata Sons. Mr Tata was a towering figure in the Indian industry and an icon of global leadership. His passing marks the end of an era for India’s business community and philanthropy, as Mr. Tata’s unparalleled contributions have left an indelible impact on both the country and the world.
Mr. Tata was not just a doyen in the business community but a national icon in India, a visionary titan who displayed enormous acts of altruism in his philanthropic endeavors. But above all, Mr. Tata will be remembered for being consistently humble throughout his life, career, and corporate success.
Ratan Tata preceded the modern-day India story, as he was born in 1937, a decade before independence, and yet his life and the lessons we learn are so intricately linked to India.
While India was still a nascent economy, long before the world took notice of the country’s potential, the Tata brand and company culture stood out as the silver lining in the economic gloom.
Mr. Tata didn’t just take India to the world, but he brought the world to India.
Since taking over as chairman of the Tata Group in 1991, Mr. Tata grew the group over 70 times. He led the $100 billion conglomerate across an eclectic mix of industries, thus earning the moniker of “salt to software conglomerate”. Mr. Tata, when he was at the helm founded Tata Teleservices in 1996 and took Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), public in 2004. Under his stewardship, TCS is not just a company synonymous with information technology but epitomized India’s strength as a global IT powerhouse and created strong bridges of digital trade between the United States and India.
Mr. Tata, albeit mild in demeanor, was an out-of-the-box thinker, and under his stewardship, the Tata Group made several phenomenal business moves, one such being the landmark acquisition of the British car brands Jaguar and Land Rover back in 2004. For a country that was a colony of the crown for nearly two centuries, this move symbolized an iconic moment of “reverse colonialism”, and perhaps a harbinger to come of how India would overtake the United Kingdom as now the fifth-largest economy.
At a time when business tycoons wanted bigger, faster, sleeker car models, Mr. Tata thought of the Indian middle class and designed the world’s cheapest car – the Tata Nano priced at just ₹1 lakh (100,000). A move he was inspired to make thinking about how cars could be made both affordable and accessible to India’s burgeoning middle class.
Most recently, the highlight was the return of Air India to the Tata Group. The airline was started by his uncle and mentor, Jehangir Ratanji Dadabhoy (JRD) Tata in 1932, which was later nationalized by the government, only to return home to the Tata hangar.
Ratan Tata thought about people and not profits, committing acts to social responsibility and sustainability.
When the iconic Taj hotel in Mumbai (owned by the Tata Group) came under deadly terror attacks on 26th November 2008, Mr. Ratan Tata set up the ‘Taj Public Service Welfare Trust’ to help the survivors and families of the victims rehabilitate.
Through Tata Trusts, one of the country’s largest charitable organizations, he championed numerous causes, most famously, his love of dogs, as stray dogs welcomed visitors at the company headquarters at Bombay House. Mr. Tata mentored the next generation through scholarships, building technology centers, and supporting projects in healthcare, rural development, and sustainability.
Dr. Mukesh Aghi, President and CEO at USISPF fondly remembers Mr. Ratan Tata and said “Having once reported to him, I can say that Tata is an iconic brand name today because it was led by an iconic visionary like Ratan Tata. He lived a life full of courage, and conviction and adopted a convivial joie-de-vivre outlook. Ratan Tata was a pillar of integrity even when there was once a time when people were reading negative articles about the culture of business and politics in India. Tata is where it is today because there was always a Ratan Tata way of doing things – ethics and excellence. We are proud of Tata as our member, and today pass on our condolences to the Tata Group, as we remember Ratan Tata, a man who turned his family business into an international empire because he always thought about posterity and the greater common good.”
At USISPF, as we seek to build stronger U.S.-India defense ties, we are grateful to Ratan Tata, who has built an ecosystem for defense and aerospace defense companies. Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL), is a key player in India with defense technology, military engineering, and aerospace manufacturing company, all vital, as the two countries embark on significant initiatives of co-production, co-development, and technology transfer.
Ratan Tata’s visionary leadership created a meritocratic framework that drew the best and brightest minds.
Mr. Tata transformed the Tata Group from a primarily India-focused company into a global powerhouse by expanding it to over 100 countries, but as a patriot, his heart always remained in India.
The US-India Strategic Partnership Forum extends its deepest condolences to the Tata family, the Tata Group, and the millions who were inspired by his life and work. Mr. Tata’s passing is a loss not only for India but also for the global community, which benefited from his generosity, wisdom, and leadership.
About the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF):
The US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) is committed to creating the most powerful partnership between the United States and India. As the only independent not-for-profit institution dedicated to strengthening the US-India partnership in Washington, D.C., and in New Delhi, USISPF is the trusted partner for businesses, non-profit organizations, the diaspora, and the governments of India and the United States.
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