Shantanu Naidu, 31, formed a special friendship with Ratan Tata, the famous businessman, despite their age difference. Shantanu started as an engineering intern and worked his way up to become Tata’s trusted General Manager, showing hard work and a fresh way of thinking.
Ratan Tata, who was 86 years old and the former chairman of the Tata Group, passed away late Wednesday night in a Mumbai hospital. He had been admitted to Breach Candy Hospital on October 7, 2024, because of age-related health issues.
Saddened by Ratan Tata's demise, Naidu took to his socials to share heartfelt note that said, “grief is the price to pay for love."
Who is Shantanu Naidu?
Shantanu Naidu completed his Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from Savitribai Phule Pune University in 2014. After that, he went to Cornell Johnson Graduate School of Management to get an MBA. During his time there, he took on several leadership roles and won awards like the Hemmeter Entrepreneurship Award and the Johnson Leadership Case Competition. He currently works as a General Manager at Tata Trusts and was Ratan Tata's long-serving assistant.
How did Naidu and Tata become friends?
While Shantanu worked as an automobile design engineer at Tata Elxsi in Pune, back in 2014, he saw a dead dog lying in the middle of the road that was hit by a car/truck passing by. He took the dog aside and did the necessary. But this incident left him distressed and concerned for other such street dogs.
After months of brainstorming ideas, Naidu reached out to Ratan Tata with his initiative of a start-up that aimed to enhance the visibility of street dogs at night, thereby reducing accidents. Tata, being a fellow dog lover, responded to his letter two months later. Not only that but according to reports, he also invited Shantanu at his residence to meet his dogs, Tito and Tango. Eventually, Tata became an investor in Shantanu's startup, Motopaws, marking the beginning of their enduring friendship.
Motopaws Impact
Under Shantanu's guidance and Mr. Tata's vision, Motopaws grew quickly and introduced new ideas like sensor-based devices to prevent tiger poaching and reflective dog collars made from recycled materials. These efforts helped lower animal-related accidents and gained attention across the country.
Founding Goodfellows: An initiative for the elderly
In 2021, Shantanu converted his vision and initiative into an organisation that supported the well-being of the elderly's. Goodfellow's start-up committed to provide senior citizens living alone in India complete support. Acknowledging the social isolation that many elderly people experience, Goodfellows aims to enhance their quality of life by providing support services and companionship.
Shantanu continues to follow Tata's path which embodies his legacy of compassion and leadership, continues to inspire the next generation of social change advocates and entrepreneurs.