"I'd like to be remembered as a person who made a difference". These are the words, said by Ratan Tata whenever he was asked, "How would you like to be remembered?" He definitely stood by those words. After his demise, millions of Indians and people around the world felt as if they had lost someone close to them, after all, he was the 'Gem' or should I say the 'Ratna' of India's industrialization. While most of us know about his 'life' (his education, family history, takeover of Tata group, etc. which is documented on the internet), there is a personal side to him that remains buried unless you dig into his old interviews, interviews of his friends or family, they reveal the truth behind the grandiosity surrounding this man. People close to Ratan Tata would describe him as a loner. Coomi Kapoor, an editor at the Indian Express, recalls one of her first interviews with Mr. Ratan Tata. Prior to the interview, people had told her that he was a reserved and private person. However, to her surprise, he was kind and accommodating, allowing her to quote him freely. When she mentioned that people considered him to be a loner, he laughed and explained that while he wasn't anti-social, he wasn't too social either.
Ratan Tata was also an avid aviator, just like his predecessor J.R.D Tata(in fact, Ratan Tata and JRD Tata bonded over their shared interest in flying and also had a flying club at Jamshedpur). During his time at Cornell University, Ratan Tata worked odd jobs in restaurants and cleaned kitchens to finance his flying lessons, as he didn't receive any stipend. His passion for aviation continued throughout his life, and in 2002, he became the oldest Indian to fly an F-16 at Aero India in Bengaluru. This story would be incomplete without mentioning his dream of bringing Air India back to the Tatas. It was a personal mission for Ratan Tata, and he showed remarkable perseverance for the same. After unsuccessful bids in 2001 and 2017, the 'Palace of the Sky' finally returned to its original owners in October 2021, when the Tata Group acquired complete ownership after buying out Air Asia's stake.
Philanthropy and the Tatas are inseparable. In an interview with Uday Kapoor, Ratan Tata recalled how 30-40 years ago, people used the word 'charity' rather than 'philanthropy.' Back then, charity focused on addressing personal hardships - for instance, if someone with cancer approached the Tatas, they would finance their treatment. However, Ratan Tata chose to approach philanthropy from a long-term perspective. While the Tata Trusts continue to donate around $100 million annually to philanthropic causes, they have expanded into innovative projects such as developing iron-fortified rice and wheat to combat anemia, creating sustainable nutrition plans for low-income families, working on malaria elimination through mosquito DNA modification, and developing affordable immunotherapies for cancer treatment. The ultimate goal is to make technology accessible to millions, rather than limiting it to the wealthy few who can afford to spend thousands of dollars on themselves.
In conclusion, Ratan Tata is the man, the myth, the legend- A man who each of us should aspire to be. While most of us can't become billionaires like him in terms of wealth, the true measure of wealth lies in touching millions of hearts through compassion, unwavering dedication, and most importantly, an earnest commitment to giving back to society. This form of success creates an enduring legacy that transcends mere financial achievements.
Very informative and thought-provoking article about the legend.