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Ratan N. Tata

Chairman of Tata Sons

tataRatan N. Tata is chairman of Tata Sons, the holding company of the Tata Group, India's largest business conglomerate, which was founded by his great grandfather, Jamsetji Tata. Since taking over as chairman in 1991, Tata has been instrumental in reshaping the Group. During his tenure, the group's revenues have grown manifold, totaling $83.6 billion in 2010-11. The Group currently has the largest market capitalization of any business house on the Indian Stock Market. Though headquartered in Mumbai, more than half of the Group's revenues come from outside India.

Ratan Tata is also the chairman of the major Tata companies, which include Tata Motors (incorporating Jaguar and Land Rover), Tata Steel, Tata Consultancy Services, Tata Power, Tata Global Beverages, Tata Chemicals, Indian Hotels (better known as Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces) and Tata Teleservices.

Tata serves on the board of directors of Fiat SpA and Alcoa. He is also on the international advisory boards of Mitsubishi Corporation, the American International Group, JP Morgan Chase, Rolls Royce, United Technologies, Temasek Holdings and the Monetary Authority of Singapore.

Tata is associated with various organizations in India and overseas. He is the chairman of two of the largest private-sector-promoted philanthropic trusts in India. He is also a member of the Indian Prime Minister's Council on Trade and Industry; president of the Court of the Indian Institute of Science; and chairman of the Council of Management of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research. And he serves on the board of trustees of Cornell University and the University of Southern California.

Tata joined the Tata Group in 1962. After serving in various companies, he was appointed director-in-charge of the National Radio & Electronics Company Limited in 1971. In 1981, he was named chairman of Tata Industries—the Tata Group's other holding company—where he was responsible for transforming it into a group strategy think tank, and a promoter of new ventures in high technology businesses.

Tata received a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from Cornell University in 1962. He worked briefly with Jones and Emmons in Los Angeles before returning to India in late 1962. He completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School in 1975.

The Government of India honored him with its second-highest civilian award, the Padma Vibhushan, in 2008. Tata has also received honorary doctorates from several universities in India and overseas.