One of the most loved industrialists, Ratan Tata, who passed away on October 9, 2024, named nearly a third of his remaining assets to an unexpected person. According to The Economic Times, Tata left assets worth Rs 500 crore to Mohini Mohan Dutta, a mainly unknown entrepreneur from Jamshedpur.
Dutta’s inclusion in Ratan Tata’s will has left many within the inner circles of Tata loyalists intrigued and questioning. Who exactly is this man? What part did he play in Ratan Tata’s life? And how did he become one of the most unexpected heirs to the legacy of one of India’s most respected business icons, states the report.
Dutta, now in his 80s, first met Ratan Tata in Jamshedpur during the early 1960s, when Tata was still a 24-year-old carving his path within the Tata empire. Their connection was formed at the Dealers’ Hostel. “We first met in Jamshedpur at the Dealers’ Hostel when Ratan Tata was 24. He helped me out and really built me up,” Dutta shared during Ratan Tata’s funeral in October 2024, as reported by The Times of India.
That early connection evolved into a decades-long, quiet yet impactful relationship. Dutta started his career with the Taj Group before founding his own venture, Stallion Travel Agency. In 2013, the agency merged with Taj Services, a division of the Taj Group of Hotels, with Taj holding an 80 per cent stake and Tata Industries owning the remaining share, as per the ET report.
The travel division was eventually acquired by Tata Capital and later sold to Thomas Cook (India). Now operating as TC Travel Services, Dutta continues to serve as a director. He also holds stakes in various Tata Group companies, including the upcoming Tata Capital listing, reveals the report.
For a long time, Tata insiders noted that Dutta considered himself the industrialist’s adopted son, though the will and codicil clarify that Ratan Tata never married or legally adopted children, as reported by TOI.
Nonetheless, Dutta’s bond with the Tata family is undeniable. His daughter worked with Tata Trusts for nearly a decade after beginning her career with Taj Hotels, and when Ratan Tata’s birth anniversary was celebrated at Mumbai’s NCPA in December 2024, Dutta was a guest of honour.
Despite these longstanding connections, few outside the immediate Tata circle were aware of Dutta’s significance in Ratan Tata’s life until now. With the majority of Ratan Tata’s fortune designated for charity, Dutta’s unexpected inheritance has sparked curiosity, reveals the report.
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