Ratan Tata and Christopher Benninger: Champions of Indian aesthetics

The aesthetics of Ratan Tata and Christopher Benninger made India a nicer physical place

Two great Indians, Ratan Tata and Christopher Benninger, passed away earlier this month.  Christopher Benninger qualified as an architect from Harvard and was one of India’s great professional architects. His many buildings, designed over decades, have set a standard for empathy and beauty that few can match. Ratan Tata qualified as an architect from Cornell and, apart from two years working as an architect in Los Angeles, spent his life ensuring the Tatas remained India’s preeminent industrial house, leading in scale, innovation, ethics and philanthropy. Many have lauded his nation-changing achievements. I will limit myself to how