Business tycoon and national icon Ratan Naval Tata passed away on Wednesday, at the age of 86. Along with the entire nation, Tata’s protege and youngest general manager Shantanu Naidu also mourned his loss. Taking to LinkedIn, the 31-year-old bade adieu to his “lighthouse.” “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..” he wrote.
The two met in 2014, when Naidu started working for the Tata Group. A mutual love for dogs brought the two closer.
Shantanu, a fifth-generation employee of Tata, initially embarked on a mission to design glow-in-the-dark collars for stray dogs to make them more visible to drivers and prevent accidents. As a passionate advocate for animals, he sought financial support to expand his project and decided to reach out to Ratan Tata for assistance. To his amazement, within two months, Tata responded, inviting Shantanu to Mumbai to collaborate with him. The two bonded over their mutual love for animals and worked side by side to launch Shantanu’s venture, " Motopaws."
In addition to Motopaws, Shantanu also founded Good Fellows, a startup aimed at connecting elderly individuals with younger companions. Reflecting on his motivation, Shantanu wrote on the company's website, “I can’t pinpoint when it started, but I’ve always felt a deep fondness for older generations. Looking back, I realize many of my closest friends have silver hair and hearts of gold.” Over time, Shantanu and Tata grew even closer through their shared projects, but Shantanu had to leave for the U.S. to pursue an MBA. However, he promised Tata that upon completing his degree, he would return to work with him.
True to his word, after graduation, Shantanu accepted the role of Ratan Tata’s assistant and became the youngest person to manage the Tata Trust. As a gesture of their bond, Tata attended Shantanu’s graduation ceremony.
In an interview, Naidu described the late tycoon a “Millennial Dumbledore,” comparing their relationship to the one shared by the protagonist of JK Rowling’s evergreen book series and his mentor, Headmaster Albus Dumbledore.
Naidu shared glimpses of their unique friendship as well as the lessons he imbued from his mentor in the book 'Came Upon A Lighthouse' .
Naidu is an alumnus of Savitribai Phule Pune University and the prestigious Cornell Johnson Graduate School Of Management.
The two met in 2014, when Naidu started working for the Tata Group. A mutual love for dogs brought the two closer.
Shantanu, a fifth-generation employee of Tata, initially embarked on a mission to design glow-in-the-dark collars for stray dogs to make them more visible to drivers and prevent accidents. As a passionate advocate for animals, he sought financial support to expand his project and decided to reach out to Ratan Tata for assistance. To his amazement, within two months, Tata responded, inviting Shantanu to Mumbai to collaborate with him. The two bonded over their mutual love for animals and worked side by side to launch Shantanu’s venture, " Motopaws."
In addition to Motopaws, Shantanu also founded Good Fellows, a startup aimed at connecting elderly individuals with younger companions. Reflecting on his motivation, Shantanu wrote on the company's website, “I can’t pinpoint when it started, but I’ve always felt a deep fondness for older generations. Looking back, I realize many of my closest friends have silver hair and hearts of gold.” Over time, Shantanu and Tata grew even closer through their shared projects, but Shantanu had to leave for the U.S. to pursue an MBA. However, he promised Tata that upon completing his degree, he would return to work with him.
True to his word, after graduation, Shantanu accepted the role of Ratan Tata’s assistant and became the youngest person to manage the Tata Trust. As a gesture of their bond, Tata attended Shantanu’s graduation ceremony.
In an interview, Naidu described the late tycoon a “Millennial Dumbledore,” comparing their relationship to the one shared by the protagonist of JK Rowling’s evergreen book series and his mentor, Headmaster Albus Dumbledore.
Naidu shared glimpses of their unique friendship as well as the lessons he imbued from his mentor in the book 'Came Upon A Lighthouse' .
Naidu is an alumnus of Savitribai Phule Pune University and the prestigious Cornell Johnson Graduate School Of Management.
