Ratan Tata’s Journey: From Shop Floor Worker to Chairman – 5 Inspiring Stories
Ratan Tata who turned the Tata Group into a global giant passed away at 86, Ratan Tata was in the ICU of a Mumbai hospital where he was “critical”.

Ratan Tata's inspiring stories of leadership
Ratan Tata’s Journey: Ratan Tata who turned the Tata Group into a global giant passed away at 86, the company announced late yesterday. Ratan Tata was in the ICU of a Mumbai hospital where he was “critical”.
Tata was born into an industrialist family with a legacy. His father Naval Tata was adopted by Jamshedji Tata who founded the first Tata Iron and Steel plant in Jamshedpur in August 1907. The plant grew into Tata Group of Companies after independence and helped India industrialise.
Ratan Tata lived a simple life. His close friend Suhel Seth says he will always remember Ratan Tata as a great human being who carried himself with utmost dignity and compassion.
Also Read: Mukesh Ambani’s Heartfelt Farewell to Ratan Tata: ‘You Will Always Remain in My Heart'
5 inspiring stories from Ratan Tata's life
He worked on Tata Steel’s shop floor - Despite being born into a rich family he worked as an apprentice on the shop floor of Tata Steel. After graduation he gained experience across various Tata Group of companies including Telco (now Tata Motors) and Tata Steel itself. In 1981 he was made chairman of Tata industries when JRD Tata stepped down. He had to prove himself to the group itself.
Maintaining dignity no matter what - He credited his grandmother for teaching him to maintain dignity in personal relationships. Tata recalled how his grandmother’s teachings helped him avoid ugly fights at school when his friends would mock him for his mother’s second marriage to another man.
“It involved walking away from these situations, which otherwise we would’ve fought back against. I remember, after World War 2, she took my brother & me for the summer holidays to London. It was there that the values were really hammered in. She’d tell us “don’t say this” or “keep quiet about that” & that’s where ‘dignity above everything else’ really embedded in our minds,” Humans of Bombay quoted Tata as saying.
Lessons from humiliation at Harvard - Speaking at Tata Hall at Harvard Business School (HBS) in Boston, Tata said he felt confused and humiliated by the brilliance and sheer numbers of his fellow students in his first few weeks as a student at the elite Harvard University but those first few weeks turned out to be the “most important weeks” of his life.
“But what it did do for me, as I soon found out, the confusion sort of disappeared, and you understood the magnitude of what you had learned in a manner that I believe is not possible to do in places other than at this business school,” Tata said.
Sweet revenge - In 1998 Tata Motors’ dream project Indica, India’s first indigenous car failed to sell as expected. The group started talking to Ford in 1999 to sell off the car business. Tata was reportedly humiliated by Bill Ford who asked what was the point of making cars when the Tatas “don’t know how to make cars”.
Tata decided not to sell Tata Motors and later turned around the company. In 2008 Tata Motors acquired loss-making luxury brands Jaguar and Land Rover (JLR) from Ford. Many in the industry thought an Indian company could never manage such global brands. But under Tata’s leadership JLR turned around and became profitable.
Humility - In 2015 a photo went viral of him sitting next to his driver on an economy class flight. He has also been seen waiting in line for food at his company’s canteen. Tata’s simplicity and humility inspires millions, as he often says it’s not about material wealth but “making a difference in people’s lives” that matters most.
Union minister Piyush Goyal shared an anecdote on Tata's visit to his home in Mumbai. "I recall when he came home once in Mumbai for breakfast, we had only served a simple idly, sambhar, dosa. He must be having the world's best cooks. But he was so appreciative of that simple breakfast. He was so kind to all of us in the family.
Also Read: Ratan Tata, Iconic Indian Business Leader Who Took Tata Global, Passes Away at 86
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