Sir Ratan Tata Promotes Inter-Generational Friendships

“I don't believe in taking right decisions. I take decisions and then make them right.”
-- Sir Ratan tata

In a country of over 1.4 billion people, every second Indian is under the age of 25. But over 15 million elderly Indians live alone, either because they have no family or their children are overseas, which presents a mental and physical health challenges.

Goodfellows, which promotes “inter-generational friendships” said on Tuesday that it gets a seed investment of an unpublished sum from Tata.

The influential chairman emeritus of Tata Sons Ltd., which runs over 150 companies including some of India’s top valuable such as software company Tata Consultancy Service Ltd. and the country’s biggest steelmaker Tata Steel Ltd.

The start-up was establish by Shantanu Naidu, 30, who operate Ratan Tata’s office and his start-up investment portfolio, in the role of general manager. Naidu also coordinates Tata as chairman of the group’s massive philanthropy arm, Tata Trusts.

“You don’t know what it is to be lonely up to you spend time solo wishing for companionship,” Sir Ratan Tata said Tuesday at the start up’s official inaugurate in Mumbai. “You don’t mind getting old, until you get old and you find it’s a difficult world,” he states, labelling a group consisting of seniors and their young friends

Naidu said the idea for the start-up came from his own harmony with Tata, which he termed a “peak example of an intergenerational friendship given the five-and-a-half-decade age difference.” He also said that he gravitates toward those like Tata for their new-found innocence, wisdom, and the motto of savouring every moment.

Tata is credited with turning around the tradition-bound 168-year-old steel-to-airlines group established by his great grandfather. But he came into his own after his exit from executive duties at the group five years ago.

Unusually turning into a star figure in India’s start-up circles. He has since backed over 50 start-ups as well as eyewear retailer Lenskart, digital payments brand Paytm, electric vehicle start-up Ola Electric Mobility Pvt. and online stock trading platform Upstox.

Even a small check from Ratan Tata is considered a badge of honour among the country’s circle of entrepreneurs. Naidu, a design engineer and an MBA from Cornell University.

The alma mater of Ratan Tata, linked with Tata when he desired funding for his first start-up, Moto paws, a social enterprise that as long as reflective collars for street dogs. The two bonded instantly.