March 17, 2001
Ratan Tata, chairman of Tata Sons
Limited, India’s largest industrial and technological conglomerate, was awarded an
honorary doctorate by Ohio State University, Columbus, USA, in recognition of his
achievements and commitment to public service, higher education and community service, at
the Ohio State University's winter commencement ceremony. The degree was awarded to Mr
Tata on Friday, March 16.
Three other people were also honoured with doctorates,
along with Mr Tata, for achievements in their fields: Henry B. Betts,
M.D. and chairman of the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (RIC) Foundation; Betty
Frank Schoenbaum, president and trustee of the Schoenbaum Family Foundation, Inc;
and Hiroyuki Yoshini, president, Honda Motor Company. Ohio State
Distinguished University Professor Bunny C. Clark addressed the
graduating class.
While honouring Mr Tata with the
doctorate, OSU referred to the ''leading role'' he has played in India's entry into the
field of information technology and communications, his successful transformation of Tata
Industries into ''a group strategy think-tank'', and his initiative in developing the
Indica, India’s first indigenously designed and developed passenger car. The full
text of OSU's citation reads:
Ratan N. Tata, Doctor of Business
Administration
Ratan N. Tata is chairman of Tata Sons
Limited, the lead holding company of the 130-year old Tata Group, India’s largest
industrial and technological conglomerate. He also serves as chairman of a number of the
Tata Group’s Companies, including Tata Industries, Tata Engineering and Locomotive
Company, Tata Chemicals, Information Technology Park, Tata Tea, and Tata Power Company, as
well as Tata companies in Singapore, London, New York and Switzerland.
Born in Mumbai, India, Mr. Tata received a
bachelor of science degree in architecture and structural engineering from Cornell
University in 1962. He also completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard
University’s Graduate School of Business Administration in 1974-75. He joined the
Tata Group in 1962 and was named chairman of Tata Industries in 1981 where he was
responsible for transforming the company into a group strategy think-tank and promoting
new ventures in high-technology businesses.
Mr. Tata
has played a leading role in India's entry into
the field of informational technology and communications.
Tata Consultancy Services is India’s largest
information technology company, India’s top
software and services exporter and the sixth fastest
growing consulting company in the world. Mr. Tata
also oversaw the creation of the Indica, India’s
first indigenously designed and developed passenger
car, launched in 1998 by Tata Engineering
