Special Friendship of Ratan Tata and Shantanu Naidu: A Millennial and a Millionaire
Shantanu met Tata over ten years ago in 2014 when he began working with the Tata Group.
hantanu helped set up Tata's Instagram account, where Tata shared old photos and pictures of his beloved dogs.
Ratan Tata, the renowned business tycoon, passed away on Wednesday night at the age of 86.
Among those mourning his loss was a young man on a bike who led the hearse on Tata's final journey.
That young man, Shantanu Naidu, was not just an assistant but someone who shared a deep bond with Tata, despite being much younger.
When the news broke, Shantanu shared a heartfelt message about their friendship.
He wrote, “The hole that this friendship has now left with me, I will spend the rest of my life trying to fill. Grief is the price we pay for love. Goodbye, my dear lighthouse.”
Shantanu met Tata over ten years ago in 2014 when he began working with the Tata Group.
Their shared love for animals brought them together. As a fifth-generation Tata employee, Shantanu designed glow-in-the-dark collars for stray dogs to help prevent accidents.
He wrote to Ratan Tata asking for funding, and to his surprise, Tata replied within two months, inviting him to Mumbai to work together.
They launched Shantanu's company, "Motopaws." Later, Shantanu started Good Fellows, a startup that connects the elderly with young companions. He mentioned on the website, “I’ve always felt a connection to the elderly. Many of my friends have silver hair and gold hearts.”
After some time in the U.S. for his MBA, Shantanu returned to honor his promise to Tata. He became Tata's assistant and the youngest manager at Tata Trust. Tata even attended his graduation ceremony, showing his support.
The two spent a lot of time together, from getting haircuts to watching movies. Shantanu helped set up Tata's Instagram account, where Tata shared old photos and pictures of his beloved dogs.
They both enjoyed action comedies like 'The Other Guy's and 'The Lone Ranger', but Tata had a particular fondness for the show 'Fauda'.
Shantanu affectionately called Tata "Millennial Dumbledore." He described him as wise but youthful.
During the Covid pandemic, Shantanu published his first book, 'Came Upon A Lighthouse.
The book shared valuable lessons he learned from Tata. He said, “He’s been a hard boss, a core mentor, and an understanding friend.”
