The nation mourns the loss of its gem- Ratan Tata. The great leader, businessman, philanthropist, and Industrialist known to the country breathed his last on October 9, 2024. His loss feels personal to every Indian and his values are not only in the legacy he has left behind but is also embedded in the lives of people.
Tata will always be remembered as the industry veteran who changed the face of the industry, as the Indian sub-continent grew, post-independence. He will also be remembered for his humility and innocence while answering the questions asked to him during interviews. Though people know Tata as a businessman, many are unaware that he never got married or had kids. Let's know why!
Tata about marriage and kids on an interview with Simi Garewal
Did you know that Simi Garewal once acknowledged dating Ratan Tata on her program 'Rendezvous with Simi Garewal'. Ratan Tata discussed not getting married, loneliness, and possibly having children in this interview with Simi Garewal.
When asked about why he did not marry, he said, "A whole series of things (stopped me from marrying) – timing, my absorption in work at the time. I came close to getting married sometimes, but it didn’t work out.”
Further, he also shared that he does feel the need to have a companion in his life but other times, he enjoyed being alone. “There are many times that I feel lonely about not having a wife or a family, and sometimes I long for it. Sometimes I enjoy the freedom of not having to worry about the feelings of someone else or the concerns of someone else. On other times, it does get a little lonely,” said Tata.
Ratan Tata on his love life
It makes one wonder as to why such a successful leader and visionary could not make it work in his personal life and could not live his love story. In an interview with Humans of Bombay, he'd shared about his first love and why he couldn’t marry her.
“It was in LA that I fell in love and almost got married. But at the same time, I had made the decision to move back, at least temporarily, since I had been away from my grandmother, who wasn’t keeping too well, for almost seven years," he shared.
He further shared, “So I came back to visit her and thought that the person I wanted to marry would come to India with me, but because of the 1962 Indo-China war, her parents weren’t okay with her making the move anymore, and the relationship fell apart.”
Ratan Tata on Loneliness
On being asked why people think of Ratan Tata as an reclusive and remote person he said, "I suffer from that. It comes from being in the office all day, around a lot of people. I think there's some sense of serenity in having a departure from that." He added, "I still enjoy walking alone on the beach. And there is something in that solitude. A lot of thinking gets done and a lot on unwinding gets done in that process."
Tributes poured in from the world of business, politics and all walks of life as one of India's most beloved personalities took his last breath on Wednesday, October 9. The Tata group released a statement and called the legendary industrialist a source of inspiration as the nation mourned the passing away of a truly great personality.
