Ratan Naval Tata, a prominent Indian industrialist and philanthropist, served as the chairman of Tata Sons and led the Tata Group from 1990 to 2012, returning as interim chairman from October 2016 to February 2017. He also oversaw the group's charitable trusts. Born in 1937, Tata was a great-grandson of Jamsetji Tata, the founder of the Tata Group, and he was known for his strong business ethics and dedication to philanthropy.

A distinguished alumnus of Cornell University College of Architecture and Harvard Business School's Advanced Management Program, which he completed in 1975, Tata received India’s highest civilian honors: the Padma Vibhushan in 2008 and the Padma Bhushan in 2000. Ratan Tata passed away in Mumbai on October 9, 2024, at the age of 86.