A life rooted in empathy

Ratan Tata’s achievements as a philanthropist were born of his compassion and essential humaneness

Ratan Tata as a visionary business leader, a titan of industry and as a champion of free and fair enterprise is a personality more than familiar to the world.

Relatively less known is Ratan Tata the philanthropist, both in his individual capacity and as the head of the Tata Trusts — an institution with a rich heritage of contributing to our country, our communities and people in need.

As the torchbearer of the Tatas, Ratan was acutely aware of his responsibility in sustaining the values and principles of the group. And in enriching the legacy of those who had preceded him. This is a legacy rooted in the welfare and well-being of the land we live in and in the people we call our own.

In an interview in 2006, RNT said “India is still a developing country, one burdened with enormous inequities. It is our duty to play whatever role we can, in whichever way we can, to diminish those disparities. This is the guiding principle for all of us at Tata. The Tata ethos demands no less.”

In both his professional and personal life, Ratan was benevolent, ethical and compassionate. He was always available to provide counsel and guidance to those who sought it. He had that rare ability to identify the cause of a problem and he was sharp and versatile in finding a way to resolve that problem.

Not least, RNT was a voracious and eclectic reader, with a deep understanding of a wide range of subjects. He had a fine understanding of technology and how it could be deployed to advantage.

The considerate capitalism that RNT believed in was best espoused in his stewardship — and transformation — of the Tata group of businesses during a period of unprecedented change.

It was also expressed in telling fashion after he stepped down as chairman of the Tata Sons in 2012. This was when he set his mind on recasting the operations, objectives and purpose of the Tata Trusts.

It was not a straightforward undertaking, given that the Tata Trusts are among India’s largest and most impactful philanthropic organisations.

Ratan believed that the Trusts needed to be enhanced. He believed that the moment had come to take a fresh look at the manner and scope of the philanthropic grants the Trusts were making.

He wanted the Trusts to go beyond being just a “supplier of finances”. He wanted them to become creative, effective and technology-oriented while pursuing social sector solutions.

Not least, he wanted the Trusts to play a substantive role in policymaking, in advocacy, in influencing and defining India’s social development pathway.

As with every endeavour he undertook, Ratan gave it his all as the Trusts shifted their approach to achieve a reframed set of goals.

Yes, the Trusts would continue to help ease personal hardships. But they would, alongside, take a broader view when crafting their philanthropic initiatives.

His logic here was anchored in the overarching aim of doing the greatest good for the greatest number of people.

RNT believed that we should be sensitive when it comes to funding the treatment of someone with, say, cancer or other medical problems.

But he felt the time has come for us to also be concerned with more meaningful ways of channelling our funds, towards, for instance, cancer research or the development of a malaria vaccine.

He said: “I believe we can make a substantial difference through large projects that serve humankind.”

He set the tone for a number of the sizeable initiatives that the Tata Trusts have got involved with over the past decade — in education, health, nutrition, water and sanitation, and livelihoods.

Ratan also realised the criticality of partnerships in programmes that demand complementary capabilities. This was in the context of enlisting civil society but, more importantly, with the central government and with state governments.

It is this line of thinking that has led to the Trusts collaborating with a range of organisations and institutions to realise shared objectives.

Ratan never spoke about it but his empathy for every human being is what got him involved when natural disasters devastated regions and communities, when the Covid pandemic claimed lives and livelihoods, and in the aftermath of the terror attack in Mumbai in 2008.

The impermanence and fragility of our existence is a reality all of us have to come to terms with at some point. What stays in memory is the imprint we leave behind. What endures is how we conducted ourselves with the world and those who — by chance or destiny — came to be linked to us.

Our remembrances of Ratan Tata reflect his remarkable accomplishments and his essential humaneness.

This is the transcript of the speech that Noel Tata, chairman of the Tata Trusts, delivered on December 28, 2024, at the National Centre for the Performing Arts, Mumbai, to commemorate Ratan Tata on his birth anniversary.