Ratan Tata's Close Friend Shantanu Naidu Gets New Role At Tata Motors

Shantanu Naidu, a close friend and manager of the late Ratan Tata, has been appointed as the General Manager and Head of Strategic Initiatives at Tata Motors, a major indian automotive company.

Shantanu wrote on LinkedIn, "I'm happy to share that I'm starting a new position as General Manager, Head - Strategic Initiatives at Tata Motors! I remember when my father used to walk home from the Tata Motors plant in his white shirt and navy pants and I would wait for him in the window. It comes full circle now."

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Shantanu Naidu, a mechanical engineering graduate, started his career as an intern at Tata Technologies before moving to Tata Elxsi. In 2014, he caught the attention of Ratan Tata.

Naidu, an automobile design engineer, created a dog collar with a safety feature to protect homeless dogs from speeding vehicles. Tata who was an animal lover not only decided to invest in the project but also became mentor of Naidu. This marked the start of a strong professional and personal relationship between them.

In 2018, Naidu became Tata’s assistant, a role that brought him into the public eye. His close bond with the business tycoon touched many, especially after a video of him singing a birthday song for Tata went viral.

Apart from his corporate work, Naidu is also an entrepreneur. In 2021, he started Goodfellows, a company that offers companionship to senior citizens living alone. The venture, valued at Rs 5 crore, was supported by Ratan Tata, who later gave up ownership of the company.

Ratan Tata passed away on October 9, 2024, at the age of 86. After his mentor's death, Naidu shared a heartfelt tribute on LinkedIn, wroted, "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 to pay for love. Goodbye, my dear lighthouse."

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