Ratan Tata, a giant of business in India and the world, as well as a York University honorary degree recipient, has passed away at the age of 86.
For two decades, Tata was the Chair of the Indian conglomerate Tata Group, which represented industries spanning automobiles, chemicals, steel and more. He is credited with being an important leader and driver of exponential economic growth in India during the early 1990s. In subsequent years, the Tata Group’s reach extended with acquisitions across the world that made the conglomerate a global economic leader under Tata’s leadership.
As India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi noted in a post on X following Tata’s passing on Oct. 9, the late businessman wasn’t just a “visionary business leader” but “a compassionate soul and an extraordinary human being ... his contribution went far beyond the boardroom.” Tata was the Chair of the Sir Ratan Tata Trust and the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust, two of the largest private-sector philanthropic trusts in India. He especially supported initiatives focused on education, medicine and rural development. Tata was also an advocate for corporate social responsibility and sustainability, with much of the Tata Group’s profits being directed towards charitable causes.
Tata received several awards for his accomplishments, including being the first individual from India to be given the Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire since the country became a republic in 1950. In 2008, Tata also received the second-highest civilian award, the Padma Vibhushan, from the government of India, for exceptional distinguished service in trade and industry.
Among his global connections, Tata had a close one with York University. He was the founding member of the Schulich School of Business India Advisory Council and helped shape York’s global vision.
In 2010, he delivered the inaugural public lecture for the Thomas J. Bata Lecture Series on Responsible Capitalism, co-hosted by the Schulich School of Business and the Bata Foundation. His relationship with Schulich continued when, in 2014, the School launched an MBA in India program at the then-new Hyderabad Campus and he served on the India Advisory Council, which provided guidance in the ongoing development of the program.
That same year, Tata was also recognized by York University with an honorary doctor of laws degree. At the ceremony, Dezso J. Horvath, then dean of the Schulich School of Business, praised Tata as one of the great architects of modern India and a global visionary in business. Horvath noted, too, that Tata embodies core values taught at the business school – a global mindset, commitment to excellence and innovation, as well as a resolute belief that business can improve society. “If there is an individual you should look to as a role model throughout the course of your business careers, it would have to be today’s honorary degree recipient,” Horvath told the graduands in 2014.
Tata was moved that day by the recognition. “I just want to tell you how deeply indebted and deeply moved I am to receive this honour that you’ve bestowed,” he said. In his address to graduands, Tata also shared his hopes “that you make a difference and that you are remembered in this world for what you are able to do for others.”
As tributes come in from around the world following Tata’s passing, it’s clear he is being remembered for just that reason – including by York University President and Vice-Chancellor Rhonda Lenton.
“The York University community is deeply saddened by the passing of Ratan Tata," said Lenton. "He was a visionary global industrialist and philanthropist, and an esteemed friend to York University, whose commitment to sustainability and social responsibility echoed and inspired York’s own. The tremendous positive impact he created, providing invaluable guidance and support that helped shape our Hyderabad Campus, will be cherished.”