Renowned industrialist and philanthropist Ratan Tata, Chairman Emeritus of the Tata Group, was honored with the prestigious KISS Humanitarian Award 2021 on Monday. The award ceremony was held at his residence in Mumbai, marking a significant recognition of his commitment to social development and exemplary corporate leadership.
The ceremony was attended by Tata Group Chairman N. Chandrasekaran and three-time Grammy Award winner Ricky Kej, among others. The award was presented by the Founder of KIIT and KISS Achyuta Samanta. Due to health reasons, Tata has been avoiding public appearances, leading to the private arrangement of the ceremony at his home.
Ratan Tata, usually reticent about accepting accolades, agreed to accept this award following a personal request from Achyuta Samanta, recognizing the importance of the KISS humanitarian honour. The award was announced in 2021, but Tata was unable to receive the award then because of the COVID pandemic.
In his acceptance, Tata expressed his gratitude towards KISS and its founder. “I am extremely happy to receive this honour. This is the most significant moment of my life”, he remarked.
“Ratan Tata is a revered name in India, and he is truly a good person. Being able to honour him today with this award is a privilege for us”, said Samanta.
“Ratan Tata’s social work and leadership have been influencing me since my childhood. I have respected and liked him from a young age. My father was an employee of Tata Company. Since then, I have respected and liked Ratan Tata,” he stated. When I was just four years old, my father died in a train accident.
Initiated in 2008 by Achyuta Samanta, the KISS Humanitarian Award is the highest honour of KIIT and KISS dedicated to recognizing individuals and organizations that embody the spirit of humanitarian work worldwide. Previous recipients of this prestigious award include a diverse group of global leaders, Nobel laureates, and notable figures from various sectors, showcasing the award’s broad international appeal and respect. On the occasion, around 40,000 students of KISS wished Ratan Tata a healthy, long, and disease-free life.
