Living Off the Grid: The Surprising Lifestyle of Ratan Tata’s Brother in Mumbai

The Surprising Lifestyle of Ratan Tata's Brother
The Surprising Lifestyle of Ratan Tata's Brother

Recently, the Chairman of Tata Sons, Ratan Tata, shared a glimpse into his childhood on Instagram. He posted a black and white photo from 1945, featuring himself and his brother Jimmy Tata.

The photo gave followers a rare glimpse into the childhood of the billionaire and offered a glimpse of the Tata family’s history.

The black and white photo from 1945 featured Ratan Tata and his brother Jimmy Tata, and the caption read, “Those were happy days. Nothing came between us.”

While Ratan Tata is a household name, known for his business acumen and philanthropy, his brother Jimmy Tata is a bit of a mystery.

But he is in no way financially constrained. He is a shareholder in Tata Sons and other Tata Group companies, yet he always maintained a low profile.

Some reports suggest that Jimmy lives in a 2BHK flat in Colaba, Mumbai, and shuns modern technology, choosing not to own even a mobile phone.

Not much is known about Jimmy Tata, but back in 2020, RPG Group chairman Harsh Goenka shared a photo of Jimmy Tata and familiarized him with the world.

“Did you know of Ratan Tata’s younger brother Jimmy Tata who lives a quiet reticent life in a humble 2bhk flat in Colaba, Mumbai!” Goenka’s post read. “Never interested in business, he was a very good squash player and would beat me every time. Low profile like the Tata group!” the post further added. 

Though Jimmy Tata is not as well-known as his brother Ratan Tata, he is a significant shareholder in several Tata Group companies, including Tata Sons, TCS, Tata Motors, Tata Steel, Tata Chemicals, Indian Hotels, and Tata Power. Despite his involvement in the business world, it is believed that he was never interested in business. He was adopted by Ratanji Tata’s wife Navabai after the death of his father and belonged to a middle-class Parsi family, as reported by several media outlets.

Despite his wealth and business connections, Jimmy Tata is known for his low-profile lifestyle. He is said to not own a mobile phone, rarely steps out of his apartment, and is cautious about visitors.

According to a Times of India report from 2016, Jimmy Tata shared that he began his career in the textile business under his father at the Tata Group. His signature reportedly bears a resemblance to his elder brother Ratan Tata.


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