As industrialist, philanthropist and legendary business figure Ratan Tata’s biography, Ratan N. Tata: The Authorised Biography, is all set to get published globally in all formats in November this year, there is much curiosity about its writer, Dr Thomas Mathew, as well.
Mr. Ratan Tata needs no introduction as he is counted amongst the most influential and inspirational leaders in the world. But his biography writer is not so well known as him, having kept a low profile all this while, and is still elusive. Indian Masterminds presents a brief compilation of Dr Thomas Mathew’s profile and his latest book, for readers to get acquainted with both better.
WHO IS DR THOMAS MATHEW?
Dr Thomas Mathew is a 1983-batch IAS officer who served as Additional Secretary to Former President of India Late Pranab Mukherjee. Dr Mathew also worked in key roles in the Ministries of Finance, Defence and Industry, amongst others. With a passion for writing, he has several books to his name. They are: In search of Congruence: India US Relation under the Obama Administration, The Winged Wonders of Rashtrapati Bhawan and Abode under the Dome.
“Over the last four decades, I have had the opportunity to closely observe and interact with the Indian corporate ecosystem and in the later years with Mr Ratan Tata and the Tata Group, in particular. So, when I got the opportunity to write the story of the man whose name instantly evokes intense admiration, bordering on adulation, among people across the world, I had no doubt that it would be far and away an exciting yet daunting task,” Dr Thomas Mathew has written in his website.
He goes on to say that as part of the research, he benefitted from unprecedented access to the records of the conglomerate, the trusts that control it as well as Mr Tata’s personal documents, letters and journals. “I also enjoyed virtually unfettered access to Mr Tata himself, who narrated his life story in a tell-all fashion. The research also took me across continents following Ratan Tata’s journey, interviewing those who were involved in it, those who influenced him and those whose lives he had touched,” he adds.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Dr Mathew started working on this book in the year 2018 after his professional meet with Ratan Tata three decades ago.
Harper Collins has acquired the right to publish the authorised biography. Udayan Mitra at HarperCollins India acquired world rights in all languages from Anish Chandy at Labyrinth Literary Agency. The book will be published by HarperCollins India in English and the principal Indian languages, by HarperCollins Leadership in the US, and by William Collins in the UK.
The comprehensive biography includes 84-year-old Ratan Tata’s childhood, his professional and private life, college years, his return to Indian and early tenure with the Tata Group. The wonderful book will also include the tales of unreported details about events such as Tata’s Nano project, etc.
As the head of India’s oldest and largest business house, the biography also includes the narratives of India’s growing ambition on world stage in the last few decades.
“Ratan Tata turned the Tata conglomerate into a global titan, daring to acquire the marquee brands of Tetley Tea, Jaguar Land Rover and Corus Steel, among others. Today, Tata group is India’s most valuable brand and amongst the most respected worldwide, with a market capitalization of over $250 billion that employs over 750,000 people – who make cars, blend tea, write software, among much else – across 100 countries,” HarperCollins India mentioned in a statement.
