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Ratan Tata was born in a traditional Parsi family in 1937. He studied architecture and structural engineering at Cornell University in the US. In 1962, he joined Tata Industries- as an assistant at a company plant in Jamshedpur.
The Tata Group is one of India's largest companies, with annual revenues of over $100bn (£76.5bn). In a statement announcing Tata's death, the current chairman of Tata Sons described him as a "Truly uncommon leader".
He served the conglomerate he led for more than two decades. He turned Tata Sons and Group into a global giant, acquiring brands like Jaguar and Land Rover and launching innovations.
He was a philanthropist beyond the business, from funding cancer research to transforming rural health care and education across India.
In 2008, the Indian government also awarded him the Padma Vibhushan, the country's second-highest civilian honour. Tata, a man with a vision, once said, "The day I am not able to fly will be a sad day for me." It portrays him the best.
Leadership in his vein
"Leadership with trust" was one of Ratan Tata's core values, and he did his best to live by it. He said- "Leadership is not about being in charge. It is about taking care of those in your charge." And professionally, he always maintained it.
Ratan Tata's Leadership is characterized by strategic thinking, planning, analysis, and decision-making to accomplish long-term goals.
The ability of RT to navigate the intricate and diverse operations of the Tata Group is indicative of his methodical thinking and transformative structure.
His strategic decisions exemplify RT's transformative approach. Upon his appointment as chairman of Tata Sons, his first task was to establish his authority and increase efficiency across the group companies, which operated primarily independently.
Ratan Tata expanded the power of Tata Sons Ltd., the holding company for the entire Tata Group of firms, by boosting its stakes.
Ratan Tata has always been known for his leadership qualities and did not believe in making the right decisions. In one of his interviews, he said, "I don't believe in making right decisions. I take decisions and then make them right," and he proved it following the collapse of Tata Finance in 2001, where he promised that every investor and depositor would get their money back; no one would lose a single rupee.
Eight years later, he bounced back because of his Leadership and vision. Like he used to say, "The greatest failure is not to try."