Ratan Tata is an Indian businessman who served as the chairman of the Tata Group, a Mumbai-based conglomerate, from 1991 to 2012.
A member of a prominent family of Indian industrialists and philanthropists, he was educated at Cornell University where he earned a B.Arch. in Architecture and, later, Harvard Business School for an Advanced Management Program before returning to work in India. He gained experience in a number of Tata Group businesses before succeeding his uncle, J.R.D. Tata.
Upon assuming leadership of the conglomerate, Tata aggressively sought to expand it and increasingly focused on globalizing its businesses. After a very successful career, he retired in the December of 2012 and now continues to head the Tata Group’s charitable trusts.
Among many other honours accorded him during his career, Tata received the Padma Bhushan, one of India’s most distinguished civilian awards, in 2000.