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So what’s keeping Ratan Tata busy these days?

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Sonal Desai
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ratan tata

MUMBAI, INDIA: “I have been constantly telling people to encourage people, to question the unquestioned and not to be ashamed to bring up new ideas, new processes to get things done,” Ratan Tata.

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Tata, who retired as the Chairman of $100 billion Tata Group in December 2012 and currently serves as chairman emeritus of Tata Sons, has emerged as a major venture capital investor since his retirement. While it is not surprising that most of his personal investments are in technology-based start-ups, he has also invested in a few non tech start-ups that have a social conscience.

We present his interests below.

Kaaryah: Tata has acquired a stake in Kaaryah, a fashion portal for women's wear, making it his latest personal investment in technology ventures.

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"We are honored by Ratan Tata's investment in Kaaryah. This validation from Tata is an endorsement, of the highest order, of our vision of creating a world class brand," said Nidhi Agarwal, Founder, Kaaryah.

Xiaomi: Tata invested in Chinese handset maker Xiaomi in April 2015. Xiaomi will turn 4 in August, but is already the world’s 3rd largest mobile phone company after Samsung and Apple. Last year, they sold 64 million units globally.

"Tata is one of the most well-respected business leaders in the world. An investment by him is an affirmation of the strategy we have undertaken in India so far. This is just the start of an exciting journey," said Lei Jun, Founder and CEO, Xiaomi.

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Paytm: Tata acquired a stake in One97 Communications, which owns and operates mobile payments and e-commerce firm, Paytm.

"I am very happy that Tata has put faith and trust in our values and mission. There is no better advisor for Paytm on building India's mobile payment and commerce platform" said Vijay Sekhar Sharma, Founder, Paytm.

CarDekho: In February, Tata invested in Jaipur-based Girnar Software, which owns and operates CarDekho.com, an online automobiles classifieds website.

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Amit Jain, CEO and Co-Founder, GirnarSoft, said, “Post our recent funding and investment by Tata; we are another step closer to the group’s vision of becoming a global company through our innovative products and services. With the faith and confidence shown by Tata in the company, it increases our responsibility towards contributing for the overall development of the online automobile sector.”

Urban Ladder: Tata invested in Urban Ladder, an online furniture retailer, in November 2014. He studied architecture at Cornell University before starting out as an employee at Tata Steel, and has a keen interest in the segment.

"Tata understands the furniture space very well, specially our focus on product design since he has a lot of knowledge of the subject. His inputs and guidance will be very valuable for us," said, Ashish Goel, CEO and Co-founder, Urban Ladder.

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Bluestone: In September 2014, Tata made a strategic investment in the Bangalore-based online jewelery retailer Bluestone.com.

“An investment by Ratan Tata who has been at the helm of India’s most successful and respected conglomerate is a validation of our approach in building an innovative brand that is disrupting the jewelry market,” Gaurav Singh Kushwaha, Co-founder, Bluestone, said.

Snapdeal: Tata began his investment spree in India with Snapdeal.com, run by New Delhi-based Jasper Infotech. in August 2014. According to documents filed with India’s ministry of corporate affairs, Tata holds 0.17 percent stake in the company as of today.

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“This investment by Tata, a renowned name in the Indian as well as global business circles, is of great significance to the company and stands testimony to the growth and success seen by the company in a short span of four years,” said Kunal Bahl, Co-founder and Chief Executive, Snapdeal.

Swasth India: In December 2014, Tata made a small investment in Swasth India, an affordable healthcare services firm. He invested Rs 2 crore in the venture, which is founded by two Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay graduates.

“We have received two rounds of funding, the first being from friends. The quantum of investment per centre is not significant, but given Swasth India’s social objectives we’re looking for patient capital,” said Ankur Pegu, Co-founder, Swasth India.

Altaeros Energies: His first investment after stepping down as chairman of Tata Sons was in the Boston-based Altaeros, a wind energy company founded by graduates from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The company is building the world’s highest wind turbine in Alaska.

While Tata would continue to invest in start-ups he believes in, his personal views, “I view risk as an ability to be where no one has been before. I view risk to be an issue of thinking big, something we did not do previously. We did everything in small increments so we always lagged behind. But the crucial question is: can we venture putting a man on the moon or risk billions of rupees on a really way-out, advanced project in, say, superconductors? Do you restrict your risk to something close to your heart?” personify his interests in the companies he invests in.

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