He made automotive history with the world’s cheapest car called Nano. It debuted in 2008, and India’s passenger car sales rose most in three years. Today three Tata competitors are working on Nano copycats. The Tata Conglomerate has everything from tea to steel, and Ratan Tata is India’s best brand ambassador.
Early life
Born December 28, 1937, Ratan began his schooling in Mumbai at the Campion School and finished his secondary education at the Cathedral and John Connon School. He completed his B.S. in architecture with structural engineering from Cornell University in 1962, and the Advanced Management Program from Harvard Business School in 1975. Tata is a member of the Alpha Sigma Phi fraternity.
Career
Tata began his career in the Tata group in 1960. He initially started on the shop floor of Tata Steel, shovelling limestone and handling the blast furnace. In 1991, J. R. D. Tata stepped down as Chairman of Tata Sons, naming Ratan as his successor.
Under his stewardship, Tata Tea acquired Tetley, Tata motors acquired Jaguar Land Rover and Tata Steel acquired Corus, which have turned Tata from a largely India-centric company into a global business, with 65% revenues coming from abroad. He was instrumental in the development of Tata Nano, largely dubbed as the world’s cheapest passenger car.
Ratan Tata retired from all executive responsibility in the Tata group on December 28, 2012 which is also his 75th birthday and he was succeeded by Cyrus Mistry, the 44-year-old son of Pallonji Mistry and managing director of Shapoorji Pallonji Group.
Board Memberships
He is currently the Chairman Emeritus of Tata Sons. He continues to serve as the chairman of the main two Tata trusts Sir Dorabji Tata Trust and Sir Ratan Tata Trust and their allied Trusts, which together hold 66% of shares in the group holding company Tata Sons.
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