Shantanu Naidu, India’s most famous millennial manager who works as Ratan Tata’s executive assistant, has appeared in his ₹10,000 crore will. He has been waived the loan that he took for his overseas education expenses and Tata also relinquished his shares in Goodfellows a venture of Naidu.
The ₹10,000 crore property includes a 2,000-square-foot beach bungalow in Alibaug, a two-story house on Juhu Tara Road in Mumbai, and fixed deposits exceeding ₹350 crore. He also held a 0.83 percent stake in Tata Sons, the holding company of the $165 billion Tata Group. Additionally, his collection includes 20-30 vintage cars, the current house Halekai House, and the Taj Wellington Mews service apartments.
Bond between Shantanu and Ratan Tata
Pune-based youngster, Naidu met Ratan Tata in 2014 when he sought funding for Motopaws, a stray dog safety project. At that time he has just completed the Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Savitribai Phule Pune University. After that, he went to US for the further education where he earned a degree in MBA from Cornell University’s Johnson Graduate School of Management. Currently the education expenses for the same course at Cornell University are somewhere around ₹1.3 crore. The amount for his overseas education was granted by Ratan Tata in the form of a personal loan. Which Tata forgave in his will.
After returning, Naidu got placed in the office of Sir Ratan Tata as the General Manager and started managing the affairs and various initiatives under the mentorship of Tata.
Apart from his daily job, Naidu kept working on his ideas which were often backed by his boss Tata. One of his ventures is Goodfellows, which was launched in August 2022 in the Presence of Ratan Tata. Goodfellows is a startup that provides companionship and assistance to elderly people living alone in India. Naidu aims to tackle the loneliness faced by seniors by offering them much-needed support and company through this venture in which Ratan Tata has invested an undisclosed amount. At the time of the launch event, Ratan Tata was struggling on the health front but he made sure to register his presence in the launch ceremony, this shows Tata’s companionship with Naidu. In his will, Tata also relinquished his stake in Naidu’s startup.
Tito: Tata’s cherished German Shepherd
Tata’s cherished German Shepherd, Tito is also one of the beneficiaries of the will, which has been a part of Tata’s life for five to six years. Tito shares his name with the previous dog that Ratan Tata has. Tito will now be taken care of by Tata’s long-time cook, Rajan Shaw, with whom he shares a very close bond. In his will, Tata has requested unlimited care for his beloved pet which shows his kind nature and gesture towards living beings.
His Sisters, house staff, and other close associates.
The Tata’s will is set to benefit his brother Jimmy Tata, half-sisters, Shireen and Deanna Jejeebhoy, as well as house staff and other close associates. The will is also set to benefit his butler, Subbiah, with whom he maintained a close bond for over three decades.
Tata’s 20-30 luxury vehicles, Halekai residence, and the Taj Wellington Mews service apartments in Colaba which were indirectly owned by Tata Sons will possibly be acquired by the Tata Group for exhibition in its Pune museum or auctioning. Apart from this, his stake in Tata Sons and other subsidiaries will be transferred to the Ratan Tata Endowment Foundation (RTEF) following the Tata Group’s legacy of donating shares to charitable trusts.
The undergoing probate process of his will, take several months which is being examined by the Bombay High Court.
