When Shantanu Naidu Used Half His Salary to Impress Ratan Tata: A Heartwarming Story

Shantanu Naidu and Ratan Tata

When Shantanu Naidu Used Half His Salary to Impress Ratan Tata: Ratan Tata passed away on October 9 after a short stay in hospital in Mumbai. He was 86. While the nation was shocked and grieving, it was a personal loss for those around him. One of them was Shantanu Naidu, a part of Ratan Tata’s inner circle and one of his closest confidants.

He had posted an emotional message for the legendary industrialist just hours after his death saying he would spend the rest of his life trying to fill the void left by Ratan Tata.

After Ratan Tata’s death, his assistant Shantanu Naidu was seen riding his motorcycle to the funeral venue with the hearse. A visibly emotional Naidu refused to speak to the media as he was escorted away from Worli Crematorium after the funeral.

Also Read: Rajinikanth Bows Down to Ratan Tata in Heartfelt Tribute: ‘True Son of India’

In his 2021 memoir “I Came Upon a Lighthouse: A Short Memoir of Life with Ratan Tata,” Shantanu Naidu had written the entire story of how he, a young employee from Pune, became one of Ratan Tata’s closest friends.

It was a letter from Naidu to Ratan Tata that led to their first meeting. They bonded over their love for animals. In fact, the memoir also reveals how Naidu tried to copy Ratan Tata and absorb some of his best traits during the time they spent together. One such instance is quite frank and funny.

In his book, Naidu wrote that before he left India to go to Cornell University in the US for higher education, he asked to meet Ratan Tata. This was early days of their friendship.

Naidu was thrilled when the billionaire industrialist agreed to a farewell dinner. He bought a shirt from the same luxury brand Ratan Tata wore - Brooks Brothers - to dress up for this important meeting.

In his book, he candidly admitted he bought a Brooks Brothers shirt after seeing Ratan Tata wear them. Identifying the brand “involved a lot of squint-eyed staring at the logo on his shirt during our previous meetings,” Naidu said.

Also Read: Ratan Tata’s Final Journey: Emotional Shantanu Naidu Leads Hearse on Bike

Unfortunately for him, he had to spend “half of his final month’s salary” on the purchase. Shantanu Naidu admitted again with surprising honesty that he looked terrible in the shirt from the luxury brand as he was not feeling well.

The shirt appears again in Naidu’s book. He wrote that during his time in the US, he would sometimes meet Ratan Tata. When the industrialist found out that he had torn his expensive Brooks shirt on a nail, he tracked down the same one in a store.

When they argued at the billing counter over who would pay for this new shirt, Tata shut him down with a simple question. “Can’t I give my friend a shirt?” he asked Naidu.

Also Read: Noel Tata Appointed Chairman of Tata Trusts Following Ratan Tata’s Legacy: Report