Silicon Valley Exec Remembers Ratan Tata, Says He "Wouldn't Be Here Without Him"

A Silicon Valley executive has paid a heartfelt tribute to business tycoon Ratan Tata, saying he "wouldn't be here" had it not been for the billionaire. Taking to X, Arnav Sahu, a Principal at Y Combinator, said that Ratan Tata's scholarship programme allowed him to study in the US and build a career in the land of opportunity. Notably, Mr Sahu is one of the students who benefited from Ratan Tata's scholarship scheme which helped him pursue higher education at Cornell University - an Ivy League college in New York. His post came after the 86-year-old industrialist died on Wednesday at Mumbai's Breach Candy Hospital.

"This is a really sad moment for me. Ratan Tata's scholarship program allowed me to come to the US. He even paid for my flight ticket, laptop, books and rent. Many of us wouldn't be here without him. One of the most important philanthropists of all time. RIP," Ms Sahu wrote on X. 

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Following Mr Tata's demise, several people whose lives he impacted in large and small ways paid tribute to the industrialist. Among them was Mr Sahu, a beneficiary of Ratan Tata's Tata Scholarship Fund which supports Indian students at his alma mater, Cornell University.

On Thursday, the Ivy League college also posted a message honouring the man who continues to inspire businessmen and entrepreneurs across generations. Mr Tata attended Cornell University in 1962 for a degree in architecture and structural engineering. 

In a post on X, the university wrote, "Ratan Tata '59, B.Arch. '62, the university's most generous international donor and one of India's most respected business leaders and philanthropists, passed Oct. 9. We will remember his legacy of transformative giving to Cornell."

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Notably, Mr Tata's association with Cornell University remained strong throughout his life. The University hailed the industrialist as its largest international donor, recognising his significant contributions to the institution's global impact. 

"In 2008, a $50 million gift from the Tata Trusts created the Tata-Cornell Institute for Agriculture and Nutrition, a long-term research initiative, and endowed the Tata Scholarship for Students from India. In 2017, a $50 million investment from Tata Consultancy Services helped build the Tata Innovation Center on Cornell Tech's Roosevelt Island campus in New York City," read the tribute from the University.

The Tata-Cornell Institute for Agriculture and Nutrition opened doors for many Indian students to study at Cornell. As of this year, 305 scholarships have been awarded to 89 Indian students, many of whom came from "non-feeder" schools.