Ratan Tata's Emphasis on Green Business Practices: A Defining Aspect of His Legacy

The Chairman Emeritus of Tata Sons, Rata Tata breathed his last on Wednesday, October 9 at the age of 86. The renowned industrialist and philanthropist leaves behind not only a legacy of innovation and entrepreneurship but also that of sustainability in business practices.

Under his able leadership, the Tata group ranked No 1 in Asia Pacific as per the Globe Scan Sustainability Leaders Survey of 2022. Two years before that, in 2020, Ratan Tata was conferred the title of "Global Visionary of Sustainable Business and Peace" by the Federation of Indo-Israel Chambers of Commerce (FIICC) for his contribution towards epitomising "unity, peace and sustainability".

As a part of the Tata Sons, the Tata Sustainability Group (TSG) has played a pertinent resource of sustainability for Tata group of companies. The group aims to guide, support and provide thought leadership to all the companies under Tata Group for bringing forth sustainability in their business strategies and fulfilling their responsibility towards society and the environment. They are also a member of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development and the Energy Transitions Commission and have been actively contributing to the shaping of the global sustainability agenda.

Among some of the notable milestones achieved by companies under the Tata group in terms of sustainable practices, Tata Steel became a global leader by investing in green technologies and practices that helped reduce environmental impact. Ratan Tata also emphasized largely on the importance of sustainable manufacturing and was also a strong advocate of cleaner and more efficient production processes across industries. In the field of clean energy, Tata Power became a champion as the company strongly invested in wind and solar projects.

Another key step in this path of green business practices was Project Aalingana which upheld the Tata Group’s aspiration of achieving net zero by 2045. The project strives to embed sustainability into business strategies with a key focus on three interconnected pillars, ‘driving the decarbonisation of our businesses and value chain; applying a systemic, circular economy approach to reduce resource use and waste; and preserving and restoring the natural environment.’

Through these initiatives and projects, Ratan Tata’s emphasis on sustainability form a key part of Tata’s legacy in transforming and spearheading sustainable business practices in India as well as on a global level, with a drive towards a more responsible and future-ready industry.