As such, the name Ratan Tata is synonymous with greatness, at least from what everyone assumed and how some felt after learning a little bit more about this individual. As the former chairperson of Tata Group, he transformed the company into a global powerhouse while keeping a reputation for integrity and humility.
There are a number of other little-known features of his life over and above professional success. Here, we have ten simply stunning and not-so-known truths about Ratan Tata that show a much deeper and personal character of this great leader.
You would hardly know that Ratan Tata was in love with four different women in life.
Despite never being married, Ratan Tata has been in love four times. This is the most important relationship in his life, whom he met while working in Los Angeles. There are reports indicating that they almost got married, but fate did not unite them. Some geopolitical issues prevented them from meeting each other. This is one of Tata's darkest and most personal experiences, and mostly, he doesn't mention it before the public eye.
After Tata stepped down from the position of chairman at Tata Group in 2012, he became a mentor to young entrepreneurs. His experiences in ethical business behavior and extensive leadership will continue guiding budding business leaders. The current focus on mentoring by Tata denotes a culture of making ethical and sustainable leaders.
His sense of adventure also comes through in his love for flying. Apart from being licensed as a pilot, he flew an F-16 fighter jet in 2007, causing news to reach all corners of the globe. His interest in aviation embodies this readiness to venture out into new frontiers and overcome challenges outside his corporate mandate.
Besides being humble, Tata has something that keeps attracting him powerfully outside the boardroom. On a talk show, Bollywood actress Mallika Sherawat commented that she wanted to date him. Again, he falls in the class of men who cross the business line.
During the terrible 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks, Tata's leadership was exemplary. He made sure that all employees of the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, targeted in this attack, were given their salaries at a time when the hotel was under repair. His actions during the crisis evinced that deep down he cared for his employees. This placed him into the category of compassionate leadership.
Ratan Tata has always placed personal interests behind his family and corporate commitments. He has been candid in several interviews on the responsibilities that at times have taken precedence even over relationships. This life of selflessness represents his commitment toward his family as well as to the larger cause of society, thus signifying the pillars of his business and charitable leadership.
Tata is a pet lover not only in his personal life but also in his professional life. He inaugurated a ₹165 crore hospital dedicated to the welfare of small animals, especially dogs. Further, the headquarters of the Tata Group has a lot of love for stray dogs, and the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel boasts of having a resident dog. It is this love for animals that speaks of empathy for all forms of living beings and not just for human beings.
It was Tata who introduced the Tata Nano in the market way back in 2008, which was the revolutionary car marketed as the world's cheapest vehicle. He aimed to make Tata Nano an automobile possession for lower-income families in India. However, despite commercial failures, Tata Nano stands today as a testament to his innovation and people's access toward changing the lives of the masses.
He is Ratan Tata, the one who ranks amongst the wealthiest people in India. He carries his modest existence with him all the time, and he has never had any kind of media coverage for his personal problems. It goes almost about an ordinary sort of life. Through his inventions on the economic front and philanthropic pursuits, he has ceaselessly made a difference in the lives of millions of people back home and abroad.
Ratan Tata inspires billions still to live their lives even after retiring as an active corporate leader. Their personal and professional decisions speak for themselves and prove a man of honor and integrity who also strives for what is best for the community. Ratan Tata is the icon of humility and service. He stands out in a world in which many individuals would amass personal profits instead of other types of benefits, and wherein real success would not be attained through monetary benefits but with lasting effects on society.
Ratan Tata's life is a far cry from the ordinary story of success in business. Known lesser-known facts bring out the man behind the icon revealing a very private life contributed to by love, sacrifice, and a sense of duty. Their choices, mainly ones that made him give up personal happiness for professional and family commitments, prove how leadership is made of complications and personal compromise for greatness.
