Goodbye Ratan Tata – Your shoes will not be easy to fill

There are businessmen and then there are visionaries. Ratan Tata – was the latter.

A national asset. An asset for the world. From India to the globe, his contribution to the creation of the formidable Tata presence and shaping the legacy of the conglomerate on Indian soil and the world stage – Ratan Tata’s pursuit of excellence was relentless till the end of his life. His repertoire – strewn over every scope of life.

The Tata group was created a century before India’s independence, in 1868– by Jamshetji Tata, a Parsi priest. The company outlived the vision of the founder, and its destiny thereafter remained to be forged by every successor, a firebrand in his own right. Ratan Tata was one of them.

The Tata group over the next hundred years since its humble start was to become a nation-builder. From steel to aviation and everything in between, the group touched the lives of the common person and elevated them through the promise of quality that each of its brands made. Tata eventually became synonymous with trust.

When Ratan Tata took on the mantle of leading a company with a 156-year-old legacy in 1991, a fresh vision was born. He was a pivot for the group, from India to the world. Under his stewardship, the group expanded its global footprint and added a galaxy of iconic brands to the Tata repertoire.

Today, the Tata group has a presence in over one hundred countries, and in the year ended March 2024, the group has clocked a revenue worth $164 billion. With 24 or more listed companies under its wings, the Tata universe includes everything: coffee, salt, cars, software, semiconductors – you name it.

Ratan Tata gave the company significant, head-turning moments – when he picked some prominent global brands like Tetley Tea in 2000, the British steelmaker –Corus Group in 2007, and luxury carmaker Jaguar Land Rover in 2008 and many more then after.

In the automobile industry, Tata worked with a vision for improving the lives of Indians and launched the Tata Nano and Indica for mass access to mobility. His larger vision encapsulated the spirit of philanthropy through the Tata Trusts and the academic wings of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Tata Memorial Hospital, and Tata Scholarships.

The new dimension, Tata gave the group was also a matter of timing. Ratan Tata joined the group at the cusp of India’s liberalisation. As India started spreading its wings the effect had to rub off on the company. Eventually, his investments spread into the sphere of technology with Ola, Paytm, and UrbanClap being his striking tech investments.

His resilience as a leader was tested during the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. After his exit from the chairmanship of the Tata group, Ratan Tata has been seen mostly as a philanthropist.

There are many stories afloat of his love for dogs, including one where he sent across his regrets to Prince Charles for not being able to attend an award ceremony for the ill health of his dog. Before he left, Ratan Tata witnessed Air India’s return to glory.

A child from a broken family, Ratan Tata is survived by a nation full of people who have genuine respect and love for a man – larger than life in his vision and work.