Ratan Tata, India's Corporate Czar, Retires With a $500 Billion Vision

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Last week, Ratan Tata retired on his 75th birthday after more than two decades in charge of the Indian corporate behemoth Tata Sons Ltd. Tata will be succeeded by Cyrus Mistry, 44.

The house of Tata owns dozens of prominent Indian businesses and brands, from the Taj Group of luxury hotels to the super-inexpensive Tata Nano car. It is widely perceived to represent Indian capitalism at its best, enjoying the goodwill of millions of customers, the loyalty of more than 400,000 employees and the investments of 3.8 million shareholders, while also reinvesting a substantial part of its profits into philanthropic work overseen by a set of trusts.