Ratan Tata, former chairman of the Tata Group, has joined photo and video sharing platform Instagram. Announcing his Instagram debut, he wrote, “I don’t know about breaking the internet, but I am so excited to join all of you on Instagram! After a long absence from public life, I look forward to exchanging stories and creating something special with such a diverse community”. The low-key philanthropist already has many fan-operated accounts and has already garnered over 2,500 followers. Many followers were quick to welcome him on board the Facebook-owned platform.
Ratan Tata took charge of the Tata Group in 1991 as chairman and aggressively sought to globalize the business. The Tata Group also got hold of the London-based Tetley Tea for $431.3 million, back in 2000. The company has made several acquisitions since then including truck-manufacturing operations of South Korean Daewoo Motors for $102 million, elite British car brands Jaguar and Land Rover, and Anglo-Dutch steel manufacturer Corus Group for $11.3 billion, which was considered one of the biggest corporate takeover by an Indian company. A majority of the company’s revenues still come from foreign.
Recently, Ratan Tata announced intentions to invest in Pune-based electric vehicle startup Tork Motors. Speaking on the rise of electric vehicles, Ratan Tata, chairman emeritus of Tata Sons, said: “This industry is changing rapidly and I place good value on the sound logic and the approach that the team at Tork Motors has taken”. Ratan Tata has also made dozen other investment in startups such as ride-hailing platform Ola, e-commerce platform Snapdeal and, Paytm. He also has a small stake in One97 Communications, the parent company of Paytm. Ratan Tata retired as chairman of the Tata Group in December 2012. He was succeeded by Natarajan Chandrasekaran. Ratan Tata has also been a recipient of many accolades and honours including Padma Bhushan, which is one of India’s most distinguished civilian awards.