Ratan Tata: Reflections on Love, Loneliness, and Life

Ratan Tata’s Reflections on Love, Loneliness, and Life

Legendary industrialist and philanthropist Ratan Tata, who passed away recently at the age of 86, remained single throughout his life. In a rare interview on his friend Simi Garewal’s talk show in 1997, he candidly shared his thoughts on not being married and admitted that at times, he longed for a wife and family.

Ratan Tata said, “There are many times I feel lonely about not having a wife or family. Sometimes I miss it, and sometimes I enjoy the freedom of not having to worry about someone else’s concerns or feelings.”

He revealed that various factors, including timing and work commitments, prevented him from marrying. “I came very close to getting married several times, but it didn’t work out,” he added, noting that “it’s never too late.”

In February 2020, a post on ‘Humans of Bombay’ shared how Ratan Tata fell in love while working at an architecture firm in Los Angeles after graduating from Cornell University in 1962. He was close to marrying, but due to the Indo-China war of 1962, his fiancée’s parents opposed the move to India, and the relationship ended.

During the launch of his manager Shantanu’s startup ‘Goodfellows’ in 2022, Ratan Tata again expressed his thoughts on loneliness. “You don’t know what it’s like to be lonely until you spend time alone, wishing for companionship,” he shared.

Simi Garewal paid tribute to Ratan Tata after his demise, tweeting a picture from the 1997 ‘Rendezvous’ episode with him, saying, “They say you have gone… It’s too hard to bear your loss… Farewell my friend.”

Ratan Tata’s body has been kept at Mumbai’s National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA) for the public to pay their last respects. At 3:30 pm, the body will be taken to the Worli crematorium for a traditional Parsi funeral.