Noel Tata on Sunday shared that the respect commanded by late Ratan Tata in domestic and international circles was in no small part due to his personality and qualities such as consideration, benevolence, and unpretentiousness.

Accepting the special Jewel of India award bestowed posthumously on the iconic industrialist at the ET Awards, the now Chairman of Tata Trusts said, “There was no dearth of challenges confronting him and doing what was right for the group. He accomplished that while steering the group to fresh frontiers and unprecedented heights.” The ET Awards jury chose to award Tata for his vision of leading the Tata Group with a humane touch and commitment to the foundation of national values.

Noel Tata Pays Ode To Ratan Tata

This was the first public statement from Noel Tata since he assumed the chairmanship of Tata Trusts last year in October. This also marked the first public remarks shared by him on Ratan Tata in over a decade. Notably, Ratan Tata passed away in October 2024 after leading the Tata conglomerate for more than two decades.

In his four-minute speech about Ratan Tata, Noel added, “Left to himself, Ratan may have well chosen a different pathway. He had studied to be an architect, and he wanted to be an architect. But, call it chance, call it destiny, he came to be in the milieu of business and industry.”

Talking about the industrialist’s nature, Noel Tata noted, “While it was his achievement in business that made Ratan famous, there was a lot more to him. His vision for the Tata Trusts has seen the institution enhance and expand its philanthropic efforts. In his individual capacity as well he was forever willing to lend a helping hand to people and causes. Empathy came naturally to him and this was evident to the many whose lives he touched.”

Notably, Noel is the half-brother of the late Ratan Tata. He was born in 1956 to Naval and Simone Tata. In addition to the Tata Trusts board, he also serves as the chairman of Tata International, Voltas, and Tata Investment Corp.