Reminiscing his student days, Tata Sons Chairman Ratan Tata on Saturday admitted finding his love in the United States while he was studying to be an architect.
"Yes," he told CNN when asked whether he found his love in the US.
Tata, a bachelor who has been heading India's top conglomerate for over a decade, said: "Yes. At that time. But I had to come back to India. The inevitable did not happen, and so that ended there," he said in a candid admission.
Tata 'frustrated' over inability to do enough for poor
After heading India's top industrial house for over a decade, Tata Group Chairman Ratan Tata feels 'frustrated'.
His frustration stems from his inability to do enough for uplift of the poor in the country.
"I am very much a nationalist. I am very proud of being an Indian. I feel very warmly to uplift the quality of life of the people of India. And that is why the frustration to do something more," he told CNN.
While his firms produce cars and steel, Tata feels working for the rural poor was what he wanted to do.
"You get involved in running a business and trying to be one of the better companies in producing cars or steel, or telecom or businesses of that nature. All of which hopefully we run in a way that is for the benefit of the country.
"But all you have to do is to go into the rural areas of India and ask yourself am I really doing anything that makes something happen there? Can I bring drinking water to those areas? Can I do something in providing more productive food or raising the level of nutrition, and you feel frustrated. You do not have the wherewithal or infrastructure yourself to do it," he said.
Asked whether life is about making a difference or profit, Tata said: "It is about profit as I have a responsibility towards stakeholders but it goes beyond that."
"Some of our companies operate for profit but they also exercise a strong sense of social responsibility. They have earmarked a part of their profit for these activities," he said.