It is no secret that Tata Group's former chairman late Ratan Tata had one serious relationship during his college days in the US. He had expressed his desire to settle down with her, but the relationship couldn’t culminate in marriage. In the recently released biography Ratan Tata: A Life, author Thomas Mathew delved into Ratan’s love story with college sweetheart Caroline Emmons.
Ratan experienced his first true love with Caroline while he was studying in the US in 1960. Caroline, the daughter of an architect, first met Ratan when she was 19 years old. In the biography, Mathew revealed that Caroline and his parents were fond of Ratan, but the relationship did not last long. “I liked Ratan at first sight,” Mathew quoted Caroline’s exact words in the book.
An unfortunate circumstance led to Ratan and Caroline’s break up. Ratan had returned to India to pay his visit to his ailing grandmother in 1962. He had plans to go back to the US, but he remained in India for his grandmother. Caroline hoped to follow Ratan to India, however India-China war changed the course of their love life. Subsequently, they parted ways. Caroline later tied the knot with Owen Jones, an architect and pilot. The author reflected on Caroline’s life after marriage. “Ironically, I married a man who was quite similar to Ratan,” she said. Caroline’s husband breathed his last in 2006.
Years later, Caroline considered reviving old memories after she watched the movie The Darjeeling Limited with her friends. She was keen on searching for Ratan online and reconnected with him via email. She shared her plans to visit India with him. Further, the author revealed that Caroline met Ratan in Delhi and they spent time together. Since then she continued visiting India. She also attended Ratan’s 80th birthday in 2017 and met him again in 2021. Mathew also noted that Ratan also used to take Caroline out for dinner when he visited the US. The biography features Ratan and Caroline’s bond that remained cherished.
Meanwhile, Ratan Tata, the chairman emeritus of Tata Group, passed away on October 9, 2024 at the age of 86. He breathed his last in Breach Candy Hospital in Mumbai. His stepbrother, Noel Tata, took the role of the new chairman of Tata Trusts after his demise.
