Sir Ratan Tata, the younger son of Jamsetji Tata, was a connoisseur of art
and a notable philanthropist. His legacy of support to the poor and
oppressed lives on in the activities of the Sir Ratan Tata Trust.
Ratan Tata was the second son of Jamsetji Tata, the founder of the House
of Tata. Born on January 20, 1871, he was 12 years younger then his
brother, Sir Dorab Tata. Ratanji, as he was generally known, was educated
at St Xavier's College in Bombay.
Ratan Tata-chaired Tata Trusts own two-thirds of Tata Sons, the
holding company and promoter to all Tata Group companies. It is a
cluster of 14 charity organisations that use dividend income from Tata
Sons to work on social welfare projects in education, healthcare,
livelihood and sanitation.
Tata Trusts disbursed Rs 808 crore in the FY16, according to its latest
available annual report. The government mandates companies to
spend every year at least an average 2% of net profits of the three
preceding financial years on CSR activities. Contributions from Tata
companies would provide a major boost the Trusts' fund pool.
Total global
donations in the last century stood at $832
billionWith donations worth $102.4 billion, India’s pioneer
industrialist and Tata Group founder Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata
is the world’s biggest philanthropist of the last century, much
ahead of Bill and Melinda Gates, who came in second.