‘There are many times I feel lonely…’: When Ratan Tata once opened up about not having a family

World-renowned industrialist and philanthropist Ratan Tata passed away late on October 9 at the age of 86. He remained unmarried, with no kids, his entire life. Despite having a legacy in the world of business and immense respect and love from the people, Tata often found himself alone in his personal life. 

The emeritus once opened up about his loneliness in a conversation with Simi Garewal on Rendezvous with Simi Garewal. 

“There are many times that I feel lonely about not having a wife or a family, and sometimes I long for it,” Tata admitted.

He said while he enjoyed the freedom of not having the concerns of someone else weighing on him, there were times when he found his solitude overwhelming.

“Sometimes I enjoy the freedom of not having to worry about the feelings of someone else or the concerns of someone else. On other times, it does get a little lonely,” Tata candidly confessed.

Simi asked what stopped him from getting married, Tata listed various reasons for it, including timing and his dedication to his work. 

“A whole series of things (stopped me from marrying) – timing, and my absorption in work at the time. I came close to getting married sometimes, but it didn’t work out,” he explained.

Watch | From Indica To Jaguar: Ratan Tata’s Legacy Lives On

Interestingly, Simi Garewal once dated Ratan Tata and fondly remembered their bond. Garewal once revealed that Ratan Tata was his very first friend when she came to Mumbai. 

“We had both just returned from abroad into terra incognita; both at the threshold of an uncharted world. Despite his decades of success, Ratan’s humility and integrity never wavered,” said Garewal.

She continued, “For a man who stays clear from the flashbulb glare of fame, it was generous of Ratan to be my first guest on Rendezvous. My crew was floored by his lack of pretence. I remember he shook hands with each of them before leaving – in his Maruti!”

Further in the episode, Ratan Tata spoke about people’s perception of him being “a recluse”. 

“I think I suffer from that. It comes from… You’re in the office all day, around a lot of people, a lot of telephone calls, and there’s some sense of serenity in having a departure from that. You remember when we first met many years ago, walking on the beach and so on was something I enjoyed. I still enjoy it. And there’s something in that solitude. A lot of thinking gets done, and a lot of unwinding gets done in that process too,” he told Simi.

(With inputs from agencies)