Tata Donates $50 Million to Harvard

[Renegade]

Tata Donates $50 Million to Harvard



Harvard Business School on Thursday said it received a $50 million donation from India's diversified conglomerate Tata Group, the largest gift the school received from an international donor in its 102-year history.

The funds will be used to build a new academic and residential building on the school's campus in Boston. Harvard said it hopes to break ground for the building, which will be named Tata Hall, next spring.

Ratan Tata, the chairman of Tata Sons Ltd. since 1991, attended the school's advanced management program—one of three leadership programs offered by the school's executive education program—in 1975.

Harvard Business School Dean Nitin Nohria touted the "historic gift." Indian-born Nohria became the school's 10th dean earlier this year. He has said his focus will be on business ethics, a cause he has long championed, particularly during the financial crisis.

Tata Group, founded in 1868, comprises about 98 companies in businesses such as steel, automobiles, telecommunications, tea and information technology. The conglomerate generates a majority of its annual revenue from outside India.

Earlier this month another high-profile Indian businessman donated a large sum to Harvard. Anand Mahindra, head of Indian conglomerate Mahindra Group, gave $10 million to Harvard, the U.S. school where he earned his undergraduate and master's degrees. Mr. Mahindra studied film at Harvard and graduated in 1977 and returned to get his business master's in 1981.


Tata Group Donates $50 Million to Harvard - WSJ.com

 

[gogbot]

Why ?

Tata group probably has its own university in India that could use that much money.

Hell Tata group is free to to what is wants but i just can't get the Rationale behind this.

 

[Kinetic]

In much better way Tata could spend those money in India. BTW still good that they have donated it to an institution.

 

[Chanakyaa]

Well, the TIFR the mother insititute of all fundamental research in india is almost fully financed by TATAs way back in 50s.

But still ... I think this huge amount could have been better spent to build 500 schools in India.


On the plus, India is NOW DONATING.... ..FEEL THE MONEY...

 

[Spring Onion]

I was just about to ask how much money TATA donates for such projects in India? i mean are there such projects?

In Pakistan Prince Agha Khan foundation is spending huge amount on different educational activities specially in Northern Areas. Gilgit, Chitral areas are having highest literacy rate in Pakistan thanks to some good projects by his foundation

 

[Peshwa]

Well, the TIFR the mother insititute of all fundamental research in india is almost fully financed by TATAs way back in 50s.

But still ... I think this huge amount could have been better spent to build 500 schools in India.


On the plus, India is NOW DONATING.... ..FEEL THE MONEY...

This basically is a way of ensuring that HBS gives priority to Tata recommended students.....plus Tata can employ these folks once they graduate...
This is a very smart move aimed at attracting world class talent to Tata as well as India.....

Though I do agree about the money being spent on building schools in India, as a private company, Tata is making a very smart move to benefit itself.

 

[SurvivoR]

May be for favorable admissions for Indians? Tata group is a business conglomerate and it surely must have seen some kind of benefit for itself from it. May be marketing to the grads and undergrads at Harvard? Who knows, we can only guess. But I must commend the progress made by the indians. As someone stated earlier, india has become a country which is in a position to donate now and not to some impoverished institute in an impoverished country but to an elite institution of a superpower (albeit a superpower rapidly in decline).

Kudos to the 'enemy'

 

[kak1978]

I was just about to ask how much money TATA donates for such projects in India? i mean are there such projects?

In Pakistan Prince Agha Khan foundation is spending huge amount on different educational activities specially in Northern Areas. Gilgit, Chitral areas are having highest literacy rate in Pakistan thanks to some good projects by his foundation

TATA's Endowment grants in India

The Trust has promoted, and continued to support, several institutions of learning, research and culture in India. These include the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, the Tata Memorial Centre for Cancer Research and Treatment, Mumbai, the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai, the Tata Agricultural and Rural Training Centre for the Blind, Phansa, and the National Centre for the Performing Arts, Mumbai.

The Trust has also helped in establishing the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust Centre for Research in Tropical Diseases at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, the JRD Tata Ecotechnology Centre, Chennai, and the National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bangalore.

 

[Apna Punjab Hove]

This basically is a way of ensuring that HBS gives priority to Tata recommended students.....plus Tata can employ these folks once they graduate...
This is a very smart move aimed at attracting world class talent to Tata as well as India.....

Though I do agree about the money being spent on building schools in India, as a private company, Tata is making a very smart move to benefit itself.

Here in Punjab , there`s a guy called Surkit Singh Rakhra. He donated the entire land to UNI of Wisconsin , Wisconsin, and he has a privilage to get 50 indian students scholarships in the college... and admission on priority bases Every year , I was one of the lucky students who got a scholarship of 5000USD but cudnt get the visa coz i was 16 at the time,...so yes ur right... this is what happens.

 

[Capt.Popeye]

This basically is a way of ensuring that HBS gives priority to Tata recommended students.....plus Tata can employ these folks once they graduate...
This is a very smart move aimed at attracting world class talent to Tata as well as India.....

Though I do agree about the money being spent on building schools in India, as a private company, Tata is making a very smart move to benefit itself.

You are right to some extent.

Actually in this case; firstly Ratan Tata is an alumnus. Secondly as per your point. Thirdly it is a great PR exercise for Indian industry and people, most of all for India as a country. It just reinforces the image of India not just providing talent to the world but resources as well- especially financial resources.

In any case the Tata family has generously endowed educational institutions in India for over a 100 years and these institutions are scattered all over India without any parochial/community connections.

Going by your moniker/user-name; just to illustrate my point, check out the colleges in Poona- see how many of them have buildings etc. funded by the Tatas from their trust funds.
For example- Ferguson College.