The Tata Group today became the largest donor ever to Harvard Business School in the School’s 102-year history. Tata Sons’ Chairman, Ratan Tata, donated $50 million (Rs 220 crore) from the Dorabji Tata Trust and the Tata Education and Development Trust, philanthropic entities of Tata Group.
“The donation will fund a new academic and residential building on the HBS campus in Boston for participants in the School’s broad portfolio of Executive Education programmes. The School hopes to break ground for the building, which will be named Tata Hall, next spring,” went a HBS statement.
Ratan Tata attended the School’s Advanced Management Programme — one of three comprehensive leadership programmes offered by HBS Executive Education — in 1975. He received the School’s highest honour, the Alumni Achievement Award, in 1995.
HBS dean, India-born Nitin Nohria, hailed the donation as a “historic gift”. Earlier this month, Anand Mahindra, head of the Mahindra Group, gave $10 million (Rs 44 crore) to Harvard. He had taken graduate and postgraduate degrees there.
