Nothing inspires him more than a challenge. He is Ratan Naval Tata, the Non-Executive Chairman of the gigantic group with revenues in 2005-06 of Rs. 967,229 million (US $21.9 billion), the equivalent of about 2.8% of India's GDP, and a market capitalisation of US $57.6 billion now (only 28 of the 96 tata group companies are publicly listed). He is a sexagenarian, yet growing stronger. He 'cut his teeth at Tata Steel's blast furnaces', then moved on to management stints at Tata Motors, Tata Consultancy Services, and the think tank Tata Industries. Tata is now not only a corporate Titan but also one of the best known names in philanthropy. To meet the challenges of philanthropic leadership in today's complex global society, Tata Group Chairman Ratan Tata combined the institution-building legacy of his predecessors with the more freewheeling, entrepreneurial style of giving emerging among the wealthy drivers of the tech boom. Under his leadership, Corporate Social Responsibility activities of the diverse Tata Group companies have been coordinated and professionalized. As he expands the Group's business activities in the area of new technologies, he has shown a corresponding interest in the application of new developments in this field to Tata philanthropy.

In recent years, the Tata Trusts have been attempting to leverage philanthropic resources by forging synergies and links between grantees wherever opportunities exist. The Trusts increasingly have turned to corpus grants to nongovernmental organizations as a means of building capacity and sustainability in a sector that is diverse but underdeveloped. Set up in 1919, the Sir Ratan Tata Trust is one of the oldest philanthropic institutions in India, and has played a pioneering role in changing the traditional ideas of charity and introducing the concept of philanthropy. Through its grant making, the Trust supports efforts in the development of society through institutional grants in areas of rural livelihoods and communities, education, health, enhancing civil society and governance and arts and culture. Besides institutional grants, the Trust also makes individual grants for education and medical relief.

As Chairman of Tata Group, India's largest and most diversified industrial house, Tata presides over a sweeping business and philanthropic landscape. Tata Group operates more than 80 companies ranging from software and automobiles to steel, consumer goods and telecommunications. With 200,000 employees across India, it is the nation's largest private employer. In corporate social responsibility he has given new direction and focus to the Tata Group's disparate activities with the creation of the Tata Council for Community Initiatives (TCCI) in 1996. The Tata Group is also unique in that nearly two thirds of the equity of the parent firm, Tata Sons Ltd., is held by philanthropic trusts endowed by Sir Dorabji Tata and Sir Ratan Tata. These multipurpose trusts include two of the earliest and largest private grantmaking organizations in India. Through these trusts, Tata gives away on average between 8 to 14 percent of its net profit every year. The Tata has helped carry the country into the industrial age by establishing India's first private sector steel mill and power utility.

The Tata concern for nation building was exhibited not just in industry, but in the area of human development. Jamsetji's sons used their wealth to endow the Sir Ratan Tata Trust (SRTT) and Sir Dorabji Tata Trust (SDTT), the first large Indian grantmaking foundations of a national, multi-purpose character. The Trusts established a number of pioneering institutions -- including the first institute for higher learning in science, the first institute for social sciences, the first cancer hospital and research center, and the first institute for basic research in mathematics and physics. Beyond these institutes, the Trusts' main grantmaking priorities include natural resources management -- particularly water harvesting and conservation -- rural livelihoods and communities, education, health, civil society and governance and arts and culture.

Together, the Trusts disbursed nearly $18 million to grantees in 2003-2004, for which Sir Ratan Tata Trust was awarded the 'Golden Peacock Award for Philanthropy - 2004'. The India Foundation for the Arts (IFA) has received a third grant of Rs 1.25 crore from the Sri Ratan Tata Trust aimed to increase the involvement in sustaining the vitality of the Indian culture and the arts. Tata also serves on the board of the Ford Foundation and the program board of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's India AIDS initiative. A highly self-motivated man, Ratan Tata does not need the Tata banner to be known. After becoming group Chairman in 1991, he pushed out the old guard and ushered in youthful managers. Now, thanks to him, Tata Group is as solid as it ever was, but risk-averse no more. Immediately after taking over, his first job was to see that many of the stalwarts, who were well past their retirement age, hung up their boots. He brought in young blood to strengthen the parent company Tata Sons Ltd. It's that late-career spurt of dynamism that makes Tata a star - and could catapult his 136-year old company into the global big league.

For Ratan Tata, quality is not merely a mantra, but the road to the customer's doorstep. His idea is not to make Tata No 1 in size, but No 1 in quality customer satisfaction. In tune with the changing scenario of globalisation, Tata has scoured the globe for acquisitions to help the company expand its horizons. In 2000, he shelled out $435 million for Tetley Tea, making Tata the world's No. 2 tea company. Two years later he paid $530 million for a 46% stake in VSNL, India's state-owned international telecom carrier. Then he bought Daewoo Motor Company's truck unit, Daewoo Commercial Vehicle Co., for $120 million. His aim is to make Tata an international company with a global workforce and global delivery. Ratan Tata's modesty and lack of ostentation belie his standing as one of the world's leading business figures. He is a man of enormous humanity, a renaissance man. He possesses great business vision and acumen. He has transformed the Tata Group into a bench mark for Indian business on the world stage. Ratan Tata's early passion for architecture helped him receive a BSc from Cornell University in Architecture in 1962. He also completed the Advanced Management Program conducted by Harvard University in 1974-75. His sharp vision, flair and skill transformed "one of India's most stodgy conglomerates into a global business player". Indeed, a fitting epithet to Padma Bhusan Ratan Naval Tata whom Forbes Magazine named Asian Businessman of the Year for 2004.