Indian industrialist and philanthropist, Ratan Tata is a legend and inspiration for millions of people across the world. The iconic industrialist was born on December 28, 1937, to Naval and Sonoo Tata. Ratan Tata is hailed as one of the richest businessmen. However, his dressing sense and way of talking will remind you of your own dad. It won’t be wrong to say that Ratan Tata has a heart of gold. But not many know that he was madly in love with a girl, and was about to marry her.
Ratan Tata’s first love
After completing his graduation from the Cornell University College of Architecture, Ratan Tata did his management course at the Harvard Business School in 1975. He got a job at an architecture firm in Los Angeles, where he worked for two years. According to Ratan Tata, it was the best time of his life as he had his own car and he loved his job. And that’s when he fell in love for the first time. In an interview with Humans of Bombay, Ratan Tata talked about his first love and how he was about to get married to her. He had said:
“After college, I landed a job at an architecture firm in LA, where I worked for 2 years. It was a great time–the weather was beautiful, I had my own car & loved my job. It was in LA that I fell in love & almost got married.”
Why Ratan Tata broke up with his first love?
Rata Tata loved his grandmother a lot, and he had thought of moving back to India temporarily for his grandmother, who wasn’t keeping well. Ratan Tata had thought that his girlfriend would support him in his decision and would move to India with him, but because of the 1962 Indo-China war, her parents didn’t allow her relationship. That’s how their relationship ended. Ratan Tata was quoted as saying:
“I made the decision to move back at least temporarily since I had been away from my grandmother who wasn’t keeping too well for almost 7 years. So I came back to visit her & thought that the person I wanted to marry would come to India with me, but because of the 1962 Indo-China war her parent’s weren’t okay with her making the move anymore & the relationship fell apart.”
Ratan Tata had a difficult childhood after his parent’s divorce
In an interview with Humans of Bombay, Ratan Tata talked about his childhood moments and how his grandmother shaped him to be a better person. He shared that he had a happy childhood, but when his parents got divorced, he faced a lot of discomfort and rage. Ratan Tata also experience bully after his mother got remarried and his classmate would tease him for the same. However, it was his grandmother, who helped him overcome it. He had shared:
“I had a happy childhood, but as my brother & I got older, we faced a fair bit of ragging & personal discomfort because of our parent’s divorce, which in those days wasn’t as common. But my grandmother brought us up in every way. Soon after when my mother remarried, the boys at school started saying all kinds of things about us–constantly & aggressively. But our grandmother taught us to retain dignity at all costs, a value that’s stayed with me until today. It involved walking away from these situations, which otherwise we would’ve fought back against.”
In the same interview, Mr Tata revealed that it was his grandmother, who helped him achieve his dream and convinced his father to send him to the United States for further studies. He had said:
” I wanted to go to college in the US, he insisted on UK. I wanted to be an architect, he insisted on me becoming an engineer. If it weren’t for my grandmother, I wouldn’t have ended up at Cornell University in the US. It was because of her that even though I enrolled for mechanical engineering, I switched majors & graduated with a degree in architecture. My father was upset & there was a fair bit of rancour, but I was finally my own, independent person in college & it was my grandmother who taught me that courage to speak up can also be soft & dignified.”
Ratan Tata’s affair with Simi Garewal
Ratan Tata also shared a warm bond with the lady in white, Simi Garewal. The duo always remembered each other with respect. In an interview, Simi Garewal shared that they had a long history. The actress had also heaped praise for Ratan Tata and revealed that money was never his driving force. In Simi’s words:
“Ratan and I go back a long way. He’s perfection, he’s got a sense of humour, is modest and the perfect gentleman. Money was never his driving force. He’s not as relaxed in India as he is abroad.”
Ratan Tata’s love for dogs
Ratan Tata is living the life of his dreams, which he always wanted. However, not many know that he has immense love for dogs and the headquarters of Tata Sons i.e. the Bombay House has a tradition of giving shelter to strays during the rainy season. Not just that, he has revamped the headquarter and now it has a kennel for stray dogs. This kennel is equipped with toys, a play area, and water for the canines. Well, Ratan Tata has a gift of compassion that people miss out in today’s time.
Ratan Tata is an inspiration for many! What do you think about his love life?
