'Goodbye, My Dear Lighthouse': Ratan Tata's Assistant Shantanu Naidu's Post for Mentor

Ratan Tata's trusted assistant, Shantanu Naidu, expressed his sorrow over the passing of the national icon in a recent post. Ratan Tata, chairman emeritus of Tata Sons, passed away late Wednesday night after a brief illness at the age of 86.

In a LinkedIn post, Shantanu Naidu, Ratan Tata's youngest assistant, focused not on his numerous business accomplishments but on the deep friendship they shared.

“The hole that this friendship has now left with me, I will spend the rest of my life trying to fill. Grief is the price to pay for love. Goodbye, my dear lighthouse,” shantanu naidu wrote in his post. He also shared a throwback photo which shows them together.

Who is Shantanu Naidu?

Shantanu Naidu is a 29-year-old who became well-known after a video of him celebrating Ratan Tata's birthday went viral. Tata, who had no children, treated Naidu like a son, and they shared a close friendship. Naidu started working with Tata in May 2022 and quickly became a trusted member of his team.

Raised in Pune, Naidu has an engineering degree from Savitribai Phule Pune University and an MBA from Cornell Johnson Graduate School of Management. He began his career as a design engineer at Tata Elxsi, where he created a project to help protect stray dogs from traffic accidents by designing reflective collars to make them more visible at night.

Ratan Tata, a dog lover, noticed Naidu’s project and invited him to meet. This meeting led to a strong friendship and partnership.

Naidu is also an entrepreneur, he founded Goodfellows, a start-up that offers companionship services for senior citizens, valued at about Rs 5 crore. Tata supported Naidu's ventures and invested in Goodfellows, strengthening their bond. Ratan Tata's passing marks the end of a significant era for Tata Sons, a key player in India's industrial and philanthropic landscape.