Prominent Indian industrialist and philanthropist Ratan Tata has received an honorary appointment to Australia’s highest civilian award, the Officer of the Order of Australia (AO), for significant contributions to Australia-India relations.
Announced on 17th March, Australia’s High Commissioner to India The Hon Barry O’Farrell AO shared photographs of the conferral ceremony via Twitter on Saturday 22 April.
Ratan Tata is a titan of biz, industry & philanthropy not just in 🇮🇳, but his contributions have also made a significant impact in 🇦🇺. Delighted to confer Order of Australia (AO) honour to @RNTata2000 in recognition of his longstanding commitment to the 🇦🇺🇮🇳relationship. @ausgov pic.twitter.com/N7e05sWzpV
— Barry O’Farrell AO (@AusHCIndia) April 22, 2023
Tata was conferred the honour for his “distinguished service to the Australia-India bilateral relationship, particularly to trade, investment and philanthropy”, according to the citation from the Office of the Governor General.
Introduced in 1980, honorary appointments in the Order of Australia recognise those who are not Australian citizens but have made significant contributions to life in Australia.
Other South Asian recipients include Mitu Bhowmick Lange (founder of Indian Film Festival of Melbourne), Christopher Weeramantry (former Vice-President of the International Court of Justice), cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, entrepreneur Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, jurist Soli Sorabjee, and former Indian diplomat Amit Dasgupta.
SEE ALSO: Mitu Bhowmick Lange in conversation with Pawan Luthra
An influential voice on deeper trade ties between Australia and India, Ratan Tata advocated for the Australia-India Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement, which was finalised in 2022.
He is the Chairman Emeritus of Tata Sons and former Chairman of Tata Group, whose affiliated companies include Air India, Tata Steel and Tata Motors. Tata’s work spans a broad range of sectors, including energy, hospitality, education, and technology, and his influence is felt internationally.
Significantly, the Tata family trust fund numerous scholarships which have allowed Indian students to pursue study overseas, including the J. N. Tata Endowment, established in 1892, and the Lady Meherbai D Tata Education Trust Scholarship for female Masters students.
IT and business services organisation Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has also been based in Australia since 1998 and employ 17,000 staff and associates, the largest number of Australians in any Indian company.
Recently, TCS announced it would offer pro-bono IT services to six Australian not-for-profits, including the Australian Indigenous Leadership Centre, HeartKids Australia and The Penguin Foundation.
Ratan Tata previously received a Doctor of Business honoris causa from the University of New South Wales (UNSW) in 2012, and was awarded the Padma Vibhushan, India’s second highest civilian honour, in 2008.
READ ALSO: Amit Dasgupta appointed Member in the Order of Australia
