Meet Shantanu Naidu, Ratan Tata’s assistant—All you need to know about the philanthropist’s protégé

The demise of Ratan Tata, chairman emeritus of one of India's biggest conglomerates, has left the entire nation in deep shock. Along with several tributes to the legendary businessman, a heart-wrenching note by Shantanu Naidu—a young general manager of Tata Trusts and Ratan Tata's personal assistant—has captured everyone's attention.

In a  LinkedIn post, Shantanu Naidu wrote, “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.” 

Naidu has been in the public eye for quite some time now, leaving many wondering about his warm friendship and closeness with the business tycoon. He first gained attention when a video of him celebrating Ratan Tata’s birthday went viral. 

In the viral video, Naidu claps and sings a birthday song for Ratan Tata, placing a hand on his shoulder and feeding him a piece of cupcake. Ratan Tata always regarded Naidu as his son.

Who is Shantanu Naidu?

Shantanu Naidu hails from Pune. He completed his engineering degree from Savitribai Phule Pune University in 2014 and pursued an MBA from Cornell Johnson Graduate School of Management in 2016.

Naidu began his career as an automobile design engineer at Tata Elxsi, where he introduced an innovative project called Motopaws to protect stray dogs from traffic accidents. 

He designed reflective collars that enhanced the visibility of stray dogs to drivers at night, reducing the risk of them being hit by cars. His work for stray dogs received coverage in the Tata Group of Companies' newsletter.

How Did Ratan Tata Meet Shantanu Naidu?

On his father's advice, Naidu wrote a letter to Ratan Tata, an avid dog lover, about his project. To his surprise, Tata replied to his letter after two months, inviting him to meet at his office in Mumbai. During the meeting, Tata reportedly expressed, “I’m deeply touched by the work you do!”

Ratan Tata then invited Naidu to his home to meet his dogs and also helped him start his venture, Motopaws, which manufactures reflective collars for stray dogs. 

Over time, Tata and Naidu developed a strong friendship, united by their shared love for animals. 

Reportedly, Naidu started working as Ratan Tata's assistant in 2018.

In addition to his work with Tata, Naidu founded Goodfellows in 2021, a startup committed to providing complete aid for elderly individuals living alone in India. Tata supported Naidu’s initiatives and reportedly invested in the startup as well.