Ratan Tata's millennial friend Shantanu Naidu and his midnight surprise for the industrialist

Legendary industrialist Ratan Tata passed away on October 9 at the age of 86, following a brief hospitalization in Mumbai. His death left the nation in shock and mourning, but for those closest to him, the loss was deeply personal. Among them was Shantanu Naidu, a key member of Tata’s inner circle and regarded as one of his closest aides. Shortly after Tata’s passing, Naidu shared an emotional tribute, expressing that he would dedicate the rest of his life to filling the void left by Ratan Tata’s absence.

After Tata’s death, Naidu was seen leading the hearse to the funeral venue on a motorcycle. Visibly emotional, he declined to answer questions from the media as he departed from Worli Crematorium following the ceremony.

In his 2021 memoir, I Came Upon a Lighthouse: A Short Memoir of Life with Ratan Tata, Naidu recounted how he, a young employee from Pune, became one of Ratan Tata’s closest confidants. Their relationship began after Naidu wrote a letter to Tata, leading to their first meeting, and they quickly bonded over their mutual love for animals. The memoir also reveals how Naidu admired Tata’s qualities and tried to emulate him during their time together.

One memorable anecdote from the book highlights Naidu’s candid humor. Before leaving India to pursue higher education at Cornell University, Naidu requested a meeting with Tata. In the early stages of their friendship, Naidu was thrilled when Tata invited him to a farewell dinner. Wanting to make a good impression, Naidu bought a shirt from Brooks Brothers, a luxury brand Tata often wore. Naidu humorously admitted that identifying the brand required "a lot of squint-eyed staring at the logo on his shirt" during their earlier meetings.

However, Naidu spent “half of his final month’s salary” on the shirt, and despite its high price, he confessed that it didn’t suit him as he was feeling unwell at the time.

The Brooks Brothers shirt made another appearance in Naidu's memoir. While in the U.S., he occasionally met with Tata, and after ripping the expensive shirt on a nail, Tata insisted on buying him a replacement. When Naidu protested at the store's counter, Tata silenced him with a simple question: “Can’t I give my friend a shirt?”