Harvard Business School Receives $50 Million Gift from the Tata Trusts and Companies
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BOSTON—Harvard Business School has received a gift of $50 million from Tata Companies, the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust and the Tata Education and Development Trust, philanthropic entities of India's Tata Group. A conglomerate founded in 1868, the Tata Group owns 28 publicly listed enterprises across seven business sectors that have a combined market capitalization of $80 billion. 
(LtoR) Ratan Tata (AMP 71 1975), Dean Nitin Nohria, President Drew Faust
Photo: Susan Young
The gift, the largest from an international donor in the School's 102-year history, will fund a new academic and residential building on the HBS campus in Boston for participants in the School's broad portfolio of Executive Education programs. The School hopes to break ground for the building, which will be named Tata Hall, next spring. Ratan Tata, the Chairman of Tata Sons Ltd. since 1991, attended the School's Advanced Management Program—one of three comprehensive leadership programs offered by HBS Executive Education—in 1975. He received the School's highest honor, the Alumni Achievement Award, in 1995. "The Harvard Business School is the preeminent place to be exposed to the world's best thinking on management and leadership, and we are pleased that this gift will support the School's educational mission to mold the next generation of global business leaders," said Mr Tata. President Drew Gilpin Faust added: "Ratan Tata knows firsthand the transformative educational opportunities offered through Harvard Business School's Executive Education programs. Thanks to this generous gift, HBS will be able to expand its already robust offerings in Executive Education, deepening ties with leaders across the country and around the globe." Harvard Business School Dean Nitin Nohria expressed deep appreciation for the Tata Group's extraordinary generosity. "This is an historic gift from a renowned organization revered for its significant economic, civic, and philanthropic impact. The Tata Group is widely respected for integrity and innovation, not just in India—where it produced both the first indigenous car and the $2,000 Tata Nano automobile—but in a variety of business lines across several continents, from cars to hotels and from tea to information technology," said Nohria. Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino, who joined Mr. Tata and Dean Nohria for the announcement on the HBS campus, said Mr. Tata's generosity would have a global impact. "Mr. Tata's gift will create jobs right here in Boston, and the executives who study at HBS will go out into the world as ambassadors of our truly world-class city." In 1945, Harvard Business School launched the Advanced Management Program, the world's first Executive Education program. Today, more than 9,000 business leaders from around the world enroll in Executive Education programs at HBS as well as in off-campus locations each year, participating in a wide range of comprehensive, focused, and custom programs. Currently, more than 50 percent of participants hail from outside the United States and enroll in more than 75 open enrollment Executive Education programs and more than 60 custom programs. Ratan Tata was named one of the 30 most respected CEOs in the world by Barron's magazine in 2007, the same year the Tata Group was awarded the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy. In 2008 he was named one of Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People. He has received numerous honorary degrees as well as one of the government of India's highest civilian awards, the Padma Vibhushan. Tata earned a BS degree in architecture from Cornell University in 1962. He worked briefly with the firm of Jones and Emmons in Los Angeles before returning to India in late 1962 to join the Tata Group. After serving in various companies, he was appointed director-in-charge of The National Radio and Electronics Company in 1971. In 1981 he was named chairman of Tata Industries, and in 1991 he was named chairman of Tata Sons, the promoter company of the Tata Group. During his tenure, the group's revenues have grown nearly twelve-fold. About Tata Group: Ratan Tata's corporate biography: http://www.tata.com/aboutus/articles/inside.aspx?artid=uBZjT+/ooH8= |
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