What is legacy?

Is it your place on a Forbes list? Is it your name on a billboard? Or maybe government honours or awards. Sure, all of it counts. But legacy is a lot more than just that.

It's how people remember you after you're gone, how they talk about you, how they narrate stories about you.

And that is why Ratan Tata stood out. I'm sure you've read about what happened. Last night, the news came in, Ratan Tata had passed away.

What happened next, rarely happens. The whole country came together, politicians, athletes, actors, business leaders, and ordinary citizens, all of them lined up for a final goodbye. If you look at their messages, you will notice a few common words used to describe him, Visionary, Philanthropist, Compassionate and Nationalist. It's a lot of heavy adjectives for one man, but Ratan Tata carried them with ease.

That's the legacy I am talking about. It's a testament to his career, to what he did for his company and his country.

Today, let’s look at the life of one of the most respected business leader, starting with his last name. Every child in India knows about TATA. It's a business conglomerate involved in just about everything, vehicles, food, hotels, weapons, software, you name it. TATA makes it. The group has 30 different companies, and their principal promoter is an entity called TATA Sons. Whoever leads TATA Sons is the top boss. That's who Ratan TATA was.

In business, you win some, you lose some, and Ratan Tata won a lot more than he lost.

But outside business, he only won. Ratan Tata became synonymous with philanthropy. He wasn't one for flashy cars or palatial houses. Under his leadership, TATA trusts set up 10 cancer centers, 1000s of students got scholarships, and many universities received grants.

You won't find him in the billionaires list, but walk around the streets of India ask about a man named Ratan Tata. The replies will tell you his real wealth, respect and adoration.

His loss feels personal, like losing a part of our collective heart.

Rest easy Ratan Tata (RNT) 🙏🏼