Education and career of Ratan Tata's millennial friend Shantanu Naidu

In 2024, Shantanu Naidu became the General Manager and Head of Strategic Initiatives at Tata Motors. He called it a full-circle moment, as his father also worked there.

Before joining Tata Motors, he worked as General Manager in Ratan Tata’s office from 2020 to January 2024. He closely assisted Tata in business and philanthropic initiatives.

He completed his Bachelor of Engineering from Savitribai Phule Pune University in 2014. Later, he pursued an MBA from Cornell University, USA, in 2016.

He started as an intern at Tata Technologies in 2009 and later worked at Tata Elxsi. He briefly interned at Tata Trusts before joining Ratan Tata’s office in 2018.

Naidu founded ‘Motopaws’ in 2015 for stray animal welfare and ‘On Your Sparks’ in 2020 for mentoring entrepreneurs. In 2021, he launched ‘Goodfellows,’ a startup providing companionship for senior citizens.

He shares a deep friendship with Ratan Tata, whom he calls his ‘lighthouse.’ He kept his promise to return to India and work for Tata after completing his MBA.

In 2021, he wrote ‘I Came Upon a Lighthouse,’ a memoir on his journey with Ratan Tata. His inspiring career and ventures have made him a known figure among young entrepreneurs.