In addition to being hailed as a visionary businessman, Ratan Tata is also regarded as a very kind person. Many have been puzzled by his decision to be single despite being well-known for his generosity and consistent commitment to social improvement. Thomas Mathew, his biographer, claims that Tata had an American girlfriend in the past who he wanted to marry but could not do so.
A biography Ratan Tata fell in love with Carolyn Emmons, according to Thomas Mathew.
A biography Ratan Tata fell in love with Carolyn Emmons, according to Thomas Mathew.
Thomas Mathew, a former IAS officer and Ratan Tata’s biographer who recently published a book titled “Ratan Tata: A Life,” gave an intimate glimpse into Tata’s life in a conversation with journalist Barkha Dutt on Mojo. He described how Tata’s romance with Carolyn Emmons, a woman whose maiden name was Carolyn, started in the early 1960s.
Mathew recounted how,
“In 1962, Ratan passed out of Cornell University (in architecture) with flying colours…There was this gentleman called Archibald Quincy Jones. He was one of this external invigilators of Ratan. So, before Ratan left or at least planned to leave the US after graduation in 1962—you know, the polite man that he is—he picked up the phone to thank Archibald Jones. He (Jones) told him (Ratan) that in case he was coming to Los Angeles to see him (Jones).”
Ratan then presented his thesis to him. Tata changed his plans to return to India after Jones, who was impressed by his talent, gave him a job. It was during this time in America that he met Carolyn Emmons.
Carolyn and Tata developed a lifelong bond when Carolyn was introduced to Tata by her father, Emmons, a partner in Jones’ architectural firm. As said by Mathew,
“When her father introduced her to Ratan, she said she couldn’t utter a word as she looked at Ratan. She was completely speechless and then started an amazing love story.”
According to Mathew, Carolyn wished she had visited India sooner.
In 1962, Ratan Tata had to return to India because of family matters. According to Mathew, his cherished grandmother, Lady Navajbai Tata, whom he used to refer to as “My G,” became unwell about this time. Although she never specifically asked him to return, Tata’s strong bond with her drew him back to India.
Carolyn, his lover, had originally intended to accompany him to India, but she and her family changed their minds when the Indo-China War broke out that year. According to biographer Mathew,
“For Americans those days, the subcontinent was fraught with dangers…it was something they couldn’t wrap their head around. She didn’t have the courage to come to India, though she told me that she regretted not having come to India later.”
Things would have been different if Ratan Tata hadn’t returned to India.
When Ratan Tata decided to return to India in 1962, his life took a decisive turn. After that, Carolyn, who was only 19 at the time, met Jones, a flier and architect. Mathew said that she noticed a strong resemblance between Tata and Jones.
Despite her father’s perception that she was “on a rebound,” the two eventually got married. When Tata travelled to the United States years later, he discovered that Carolyn was contentedly settled and expecting her second child.
Ratan took Carolyn out to supper with her husband, Mathew reveals. There, he told her how happy he was for her and promised not to get in touch with her again.
According to Mathew, “the embers of love their love never died”:
As promised, Ratan Tata didn’t get in touch with Carolyn again during her husband’s lifetime. Carolyn contacted Ratan Tata following her husband’s death. Thomas Mathew claims that she started going to India annually and frequently stayed at Tata’s house. Carolyn’s love for Ratan remained unwavering even after they were apart for several years.
In the interview, Mathew mentioned,
“The embers of their love never died, in a manner of speaking and that’s their lov story.”
Mathew further shared that,
“Carolyn was once at a salon where she opened a book and saw Ratan’s photograph. She tore that page and kept it in one of her personal drawers and later showed it to me.”
Have a look at the whole interview,
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