In a move intended to broaden its international investment relationships, the University of California’s Office of the Chief Investment Officer has engaged Ratan Tata as a senior advisor to the CIO, it was announced today (Nov. 25).
Beginning on Dec. 1, Tata, formerly chairman of the Tata Group, a global enterprise of more than 100 India-based companies, will advise Chief Investment Officer Jagdeep Singh Bachher on international policy, including investment opportunities and strategies in Asia and India. Over the next three years, the Office of the Chief Investment Officer plans to invest up to an additional $1 billion in public markets and private assets in Asia, including in India.
“Ratan Tata is a business legend and inspiration,” Bachher said. “Given his wealth of experience and relationships in India and globally, the University of California will benefit immensely from his insights on the growth of global businesses as we enhance our Asian investments portfolio.”
“I am honored and privileged to have been invited to be a senior advisor to UC Investments,” Tata said. “It will be a pleasure and an invigorating experience to work with Jagdeep Singh Bachher on investing in innovative new technology startups and private companies in the U.S. and Asia, many of which hopefully will become great success stories."
During his more than 20-year tenure at the helm of the Tata Group, Tata grew revenue from about $5 billion in 1991 to more than $100 billion by the time he retired in 2012. Since then, he has continued to serve as chairman of the Tata Trusts, Indian’s leading philanthropic organization and the principal shareholder of the parent company of the Tata Group. Recently he has been supporting and encouraging a number of young startups in India and abroad. Some of his investments include Snapdeal, Ola, Xiaomi, Urban Ladder and Alteroes Energies.
Tata serves on the board of directors of Alcoa and is also on the international advisory boards of Mitsubishi Corp., JP Morgan Chase, Rolls-Royce and the Monetary Authority of Singapore.
Tata is also associated with several other organizations in India and overseas. He is chairman of the Council of Management of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research and also serves on the board of trustees of Cornell University and the University of Southern California.
Tata earned a B.A. from Cornell University in 1962 and worked briefly in Los Angeles before returning to India later that same year to join the Tata Group. He completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School in 1975.
The government of India has honored Tata with its second-highest civilian award, the Padma Vibhushan, in 2008. He has also received honorary doctorates from several universities in India and overseas.