Ratan Tata's Will: 'Unlimited' Care For Pet Dog Tito, Close Aide Shantanu Gets Waiver And More

Industrialist Ratan Tata, who died earlier this month, made arrangements for "unlimited care" of his dog, Tito, in his will. The businessman-philanthropist adopted the German Shepherd nearly six years ago after the death of his former dog of the same name. Tito will be looked after by his longtime cook, Rajan Shaw, according to a report by The Times of India.

Apart from provisions for Tito, Tata has also allocated assets—estimated to be over Rs 10,000 crore—to his foundation, brother Jimmy Tata, half-sisters Shireen and Jeanna Jeejabhoy, house staff, and others. His will also mentioned the industrialist's executive assistant Shantanu Naidu and longtime butler Subbiah.

Tata has given up his stake in Naidu's venture, Goodfellows, a startup aimed at connecting elderly individuals with younger companions, and waived his overseas education fee.

Ratan Tata's assets included a two-storey house on Juhu Tara Road in Mumbai, a 2,000 square-foot beach bungalow, a Rs 350 crore fixed deposit and a 0.83% stake in Tata Sons, the holding company of the Tata Group. The industrialist’s stake in Tata Sons will now be transferred to Ratan Tata Endowment Foundation. His stakes in other Tata companies will also go to this charitable trust.

The Halekai house in Colaba, where Tata lived until his death, is owned by Ewart Investments, a Tata Sons subsidiary. Ewart Investments has yet to decide what it will do with this property.

The industrialist's collection of cars may reportedly be auctioned or acquired by the Tata Group for its museum in Pune or auctioned.

A dedicated kennel on the ground floor of Bombay House, the head office of the Tata Group in Mumbai, was a result of Ratan Tata's love for canines. The kennel was spread across a large room offering amenities, such as a dedicated area where the dogs were bathed by attendants. Staff at the Bombay House were instructed to allow free entry and exit to stray dogs looking for shelter.

Interestingly, Tata and his assistant Shantanu Naidu bonded over their mutual love and care for canines. According to some reports, Naidu once wrote to Tata about a dog collar with a reflector to ensure the safety of stray dogs. The duo worked together on Motopaws, an animal welfare NGO, to make streets safer for stray dogs.