Ratan Tata's impact on India's start-up ecosystem: Founders share experiences
Ratan Tata, former chairman of Tata Sons and a stalwart of India's business landscape, passed away at 86. His legacy, however, goes beyond being an industrialist to include major contributions to India's start-up ecosystem. According to data from Tracxn, a private markets data provider, Tata invested in nearly 45 start-ups across sectors. These investments have been instrumental in defining the course of many young companies.
Tata's investments spanned diverse sectors
Tata's investment portfolio is as diverse as it gets, with successful start-ups like Paytm, Ola, Snapdeal, Lenskart, FirstCry, Urban Company, and B2B marketplace Moglix. His strategic investments have not just provided financial support but also credibility to these emerging businesses. Kaushal Dugar, founder of Teabox (a tea company), credits Tata's investment in 2016 for changing his company's trajectory in the Indian market.
Tata's investments yielded significant returns
Tata's smart investments have also paid off big time. For example, his investment in Upstox gave him a return of over 23,000%, while an early bet on Lenskart reportedly gave him 28x return. New-age companies that went public this year such as Ola Electric and Firstcry also gave him 10x and 450% returns, respectively. These numbers highlight how shrewd his investment decisions are.
Tata: A mentor beyond an investor
Tata was more than an investor. He was a mentor to many companies, steering them until they could stand on their own feet. Sudhir Sethi, founder and chairman of Chiratae Ventures, remembers how Tata agreed to their request to be an advisor in 2015 and stayed actively involved for over six years. Sethi called him a humble person with a keen interest in learning about the start-up ecosystem.
Tata's advice to Urban Company
Abhiraj Singh Bhal, co-founder of Urban Company, recounted his meeting with Tata in 2015. He remembered how Tata stressed on the need for their services in India and advised them to maintain high quality. Bhal called him "the greatest Indian I have ever met" and praised him for embodying values like humility, integrity, service before self, trusteeship, excellence, grace, conscious capitalism and love for nation.
Tata's investment in Goodfellows
Tata, a passionate dog lover, once received a unique proposal from Shantanu Naidu, a design engineer at Tata Elxsi. Naidu suggested creating special collars for street dogs to prevent accidents and fatalities. This idea sparked a connection between Tata and Naidu, leading to a lasting friendship. Naidu eventually became one of Tata's closest aides and the youngest general manager at Tata Trust. Tata also invested in Naidu's start-up, Goodfellows, which is dedicated to providing assistance and services to senior citizens.
