Ratan Tata's will: Rs 3.5 crore bequeathed to staff, loan waivers for employees

Late industrialist Ratan Tata, who passed away in October 2024, left behind a legacy of generosity by bequeathing nearly Rs 3.5 crore to his house staff, office aides, and even a neighbor. His will, dated February 23, 2022, instructed that his long-serving staff receive financial support in recognition of their years of service.

According to Tata's will, the domestic staff, including house helps and peons, will receive Rs 15 lakh from his estate, distributed based on their tenure. Part-time helpers and car cleaners will receive Rs 1 lakh each. In a further display of his benevolence, Tata also directed that all his high-end clothing—featuring brands such as Daks, Polo, Brooks Brothers, Brioni, and Hermes—be donated to NGOs to benefit the underprivileged.

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Loan waivers and bequests to staff:

Tata's close staff members were among the key beneficiaries of his will. His longtime cook, Rajan Shaw, received just over Rs 1 crore, including a Rs 51 lakh loan waiver. Butler Subbaiah Konar was granted Rs 66 lakh, which included the waiving of a Rs 36 lakh loan. His secretary, Delnaz Gilder, was bequeathed Rs 10 lakh.

Further loan waivers extended to key individuals included a Rs 1 crore loan granted to Tata's executive assistant Shantanu Naidu for his MBA at Cornell University. His driver, Raju Leon, received Rs 1.5 lakh, while a previously granted Rs 18 lakh loan was canceled.

Tata also left Rs 5 lakh to Tata Trusts consultant Hoshi D Malesara and Rs 2 lakh to his Alibaug bungalow caretaker Devendar Katamollu. His personal assistant, Deepti Divakaran, was allocated Rs 1.5 lakh, while peons Gopal Singh and Pandurang Gurav received Rs 50,000 each.

One of Tata's helpers, Sarfaraz Deshmukh, also benefited from a Rs 2 lakh loan waiver. Additionally, Tata wrote off a Rs 23.7 lakh loan given to his neighbor, Jake Malite, for his MBA at Warwick Business School in the UK. Malite, now based in Switzerland, was formerly associated with aerospace manufacturer Pratt & Whitney.

Provision for pet dog and estate distribution:

Tata's will also made provisions for his pet German Shepherd, Tito, allocating Rs 12 lakh for the dog's care, with quarterly disbursements of Rs 30,000. The pet remains under the care of Rajan Shaw.

Regarding the broader distribution of his estate, one-third of his residual assets—excluding shares and immovable properties—was left to former Taj employee Mohini Dutta. Tata's land in Seychelles, valued at Rs 85 lakh, was bequeathed to RNT Associates, a Singapore-registered fund whose shareholders include ex-Tata Trusts managing trustee R Venkatraman and former Tata Technologies CEO Patrick McGoldrick.

Executors of Tata's will include his half-sisters, Shireen and Deanna Jejeebhoy, friend Mehli Mistry (who inherited his Alibaug bungalow), and Tata Trusts trustee Darius Khambata. Each executor will receive Rs 5 lakh as appreciation for their role in executing the will.

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Modest funeral expenses

Despite his vast wealth, Ratan Tata ensured that his funeral and posthumous expenses were covered by his estate. The total cost incurred for his funeral, according to the executors, amounted to just Rs 2,500.