Years after receiving a personal email from Ratan Tata and being invited to meet him, a US-based Indian founder says one regret continues to stay with her – not being able to make it to that meeting.
In a LinkedIn post, Sneha Biswas, founder and CEO of Boston-based Early Steps Academy, recalled her interactions with the late industrialist and philanthropist. Alongside the post, she shared a screenshot of an email sent by Tata in January 2020, when she was interning at Tata Steel under CEO TV Narendran at Bombay House.
“Some regrets stay with you forever. This was January 2020. I was interning with the CEO of Tata Steel, Mr. Narendran at Bombay House. And, This is an email from Mr. RATAN TATA,” Biswas wrote, describing the email as one of the most treasured messages in her inbox.
Biswas said that she had written to Ratan Tata during her internship and was surprised when he not only read her message but also responded personally. “The fact that he was genuinely so so kind as a leader that he took the time to read AND to reply to my email. To an intern. He need not. Many leaders 1/3rd his age act so snobbish that they don’t care responding to anyone!” she wrote.
{{/usCountry}}Biswas said that she had written to Ratan Tata during her internship and was surprised when he not only read her message but also responded personally. “The fact that he was genuinely so so kind as a leader that he took the time to read AND to reply to my email. To an intern. He need not. Many leaders 1/3rd his age act so snobbish that they don’t care responding to anyone!” she wrote.
{{/usCountry}}In the email, Tata thanked Biswas for reaching out to him and acknowledged her family’s association with the Tata group. He also noted her request for a meeting and wrote that he would “endeavour” to meet her before January 22.
“He was 82 back then. Not a tender age where you are on your phone all the time, so its just easy to follow every email. And the volume of emails that he must be receiving. And still, he read because - He was that person- who cared,” she said.
(Also Read: ‘How babus harm Indian engineers’: Indian-American founder says tax rules punish equity ownership)
Biswas further said that someone from Tata’s office later called to arrange the meeting, but she was scheduled to fly back to Boston that day. “Someone from his office called, said RnT is looking for Sneha and asked for the date. I was already booked to fly back to the US. I thought no worries, next time. But there was no next time,” she wrote.
Over the next few years, Biswas said that she remained largely in the US and became busy with entrepreneurship. But somewhere along the way, Tata passed away in 2024 and she realised that she had lost the opportunity forever.
“I often search for rnt in my inbox and read these words. Just a warm feeling - and a reminder that, If at all I have the privilege ever to be even a tenth of what Mr. tata was - I hope to keep the humility, the warmth and the genuineness for not just those above me, or my peers, But also for those who are complete strangers,” she added.
(Also Read: 'You rebuild your entire life from scratch': Indian founder in US reflects on her 8-year immigrant journey)
Social media reactions
The post struck a chord with several users, many of whom recalled Ratan Tata’s humility and generosity.
One user wrote, “Beautiful tribute to him. I met Mr. Tata multiple times and a couple of times one on one … everything you hear about his grace, demeanor, generosity and kindness is true. On one occasion in 2015, I had requested a meeting at the behest of a startup I was advising. Not only did he invite the founders and myself to meet him, but he took such deep interest in the problem and solution, and spent 2 hours with us to understand how we could make an impact. I tend to avoid glorifying human beings much, because they tend to disappoint… but Mr. Tata from my vantage point deserves every bit of accolade.”
“Thank you Sneha Biswas for sharing this beautiful piece of his legacy. It's an incredible story and a powerful reminder that the most successful leaders are often the most humble. True leadership isn't just about achieving greatness—it's about leaving the door open for others to grow and succeed as well,” commented another.
“Thank you for sharing this. It’s a powerful reminder that great leaders inspire not through position but through the way they treat others. Kindness in leadership builds trust, inspires people and leaves a lasting impact,” wrote a third user.
“Mr. Ratan Tata truly lived up to the meaning of the name given to him at birth. A true 'gem' of a person that genuinely believed the youth in India deserved a bright future. India as a country always came first for him just like his forefathers. Till date, I have never encountered a businessman with the kind of mindset that Mr. Ratan Tata had,” said another.