Ratan Tata was born in 1937 in Mumbai, India to one of the country's most prosperous industrialist families. He studied architecture and structural engineering at Cornell University and later pursued management studies at Harvard University. Tata had a long career with the Tata Group, starting at the bottom level before becoming Chairman in 1981. As Chairman, he led the company's expansion internationally through major acquisitions and helped transform the Tata brand into a global business. Tata retired from his role as Chairman in 2012 after leading the company for over 30 years.