Ratan Naval Tata, the former chairman of the Tata Group, passed away on Wednesday night at 11:30 PM at Breach Candy Hospital in South Mumbai. The Padma Vibhushan recipient had been hospitalized in intensive care since Monday, marking the end of an era for one of India’s most respected industrialists and philanthropists.
Early Life and Career
Ratan Tata joined the Tata Group after earning a Bachelor of Science degree in architecture from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, in 1962. He quickly made his mark within the family business, becoming chairman of Tata Industries just a decade later. In 1991, Tata succeeded his uncle, JRD Tata, who had led the group for more than fifty years, taking the helm of the Tata Group and steering it toward new horizons.
Contributions to the Tata Group
Under Ratan Tata’s leadership, the Tata Group experienced significant growth, particularly in the automotive sector. He was instrumental in overseeing the expansion of Tata Motors, famously known as the father of the Tata Indica and Tata Nano cars. These vehicles were not just products; they represented Tata’s vision of making car ownership accessible to the masses.
The Ambitious Tata Nano
The Tata Nano, often referred to as the ₹1 lakh car, was designed with the aim of providing a safe and affordable vehicle for Indian families. Despite the ambitious vision, the Nano did not achieve the commercial success that was initially hoped for. However, Ratan Tata expressed pride in the project, recounting his motivation behind it. “I remember seeing a family of four on a motorbike in the heavy Bombay rain — I knew I wanted to do more for these families who were risking their lives for lack of an alternative. By the time we launched the Nano, our costs were higher, but I had made a promise, and we delivered on that promise… Looking back, I’m still proud of the car and the decision to go ahead with it,” he shared during an interview with Humans of Bombay in 2020.
A Vision for Safety and Accessibility
In a 2022 Instagram post, Ratan Tata elaborated on his motivations for the Tata Nano. He explained that the company initially considered how to improve safety for two-wheeler riders but ultimately decided to focus on creating a car. “What really motivated me, and sparked a desire to produce such a vehicle, was constantly seeing Indian families on scooters, maybe the child sandwiched between the mother and father, riding to wherever they were going, often on slippery roads,” he stated.
He further reminisced about his architectural training, noting, “One of the benefits of being in the School of Architecture, it had taught me to doodle when I was free. At first, we were trying to figure out how to make two-wheelers safer; the doodles became four wheels, no windows, no doors, just a basic dune buggy. But I finally decided it should be a car. The Nano was always meant for all our people,” he added.
