Ratan Tata, aged 86, was a renowned Indian business leader who led the Tata Group, a vast conglomerate with over 100 companies and 660,000 employees, for over two decades. The Tata Group, founded by Jamsetji Tata, spans industries from automotive to steel and aviation. Known for its ethos of combining capitalism with philanthropy, the group is largely owned by a philanthropic trust. Born in 1937 to a Parsi family, Tata studied architecture at Cornell University and had a passion for flying. He returned to India in 1962.