Silicon Valley exec says he ‘wouldn’t be here’ without Ratan Tata: ‘He even paid for my flight ticket’
Arnav Sahu, a Principal at Y Combinator, said it was Ratan Tata’s scholarship programme that allowed him to study in the United States
A Silicon Valley executive has shared a touching tribute to Ratan Tata, saying he “wouldn’t be here” had it not been for the billionaire philanthropist. Arnav Sahu, a Principal at Y Combinator, said it was Ratan Tata’s scholarship programme that allowed him to study in the United States and build a career in the land of opportunity. Sahu is one of several students who pursued higher education at Ratan Tata’s alma mater, Cornell University, thanks to the philanthropist’s scholarship programme.
Ratan Tata, chairman emeritus of Tata Sons, died at Mumbai’s Breach Candy Hospital on Wednesday night. He was 86. Noted as much for his humanity and philanthropy as for his business acumen, Tata’s death has left a legion of fans heartbroken.
Several people whose lives he touched in ways big and small shared tributes to the industrialist after his death. Among them was Arnav Sahu, a beneficiary of Ratan Tata’s Tata Scholarship Fund which supports Indian students at his alma mater, Cornell University.
“This is a really sad moment for me. Ratan Tata's scholarship program allowed me to come to the US. He even paid for my flight ticket, laptop, books and rent,” Sahu wrote on X. “Many of us wouldn't be here without him. One of the most important philanthropists of all time. RIP,” he added.
Sahu is currently based in the San Francisco Bay Area.
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Ratan Tata received a bachelor's degree in architecture from Cornell University in 1959. He later completed an Advanced Management Programme at Harvard Business School in 1975.
Cornell University remembered Tata as its “most generous international donor” and “one of India's most respected business leaders and philanthropists.”
Ratan Tata’s $50 million grant to Cornell had led to the establishment of the Tata-Cornell Institute for Agriculture and Nutrition. It also endowed the Tata Scholarship for Students from India, which offers financial assistance to 20 undergraduate students from India annually.
Also read: Ratan Tata’s Colaba neighbours share stories of everyday encounters with the billionaire