Ratan Tata aide Shantanu Naidu honored by Google, wins this prestigious award for…
Remember Shantanu Naidu, the young friend and close aide of Ratan Tata, who was seen crying inconsolably at the former Tata Group boss’s funeral in October last year? Recently, Shantanu Naidu, who is a general manager at Tata Motors, was honored with ‘Social Impact Leader of the Year’ award by Google.
Why Google honored Shantanu Naidu?
Shantanu, a close aide of veteran industrialist Ratan Tata who passed away last year, was conferred with the title of ‘Social Impact Leader of the Year’ at Viksit Bharat 2047- Google Education Summit 2025, an event organized by the global tech giant which honored people who made a difference in the field of education and made a real impact in the society.
“The short story is, tiny award, took Amma with me, made a BUNCH of inspiring friends,” Shantanu Naidu wrote in an Instagram post, adding “I never thought the push for school-based entrepreneurs would be so fiery in India. And clearly there are some ridiculously inspiring people here that are prepared to roll their sleeves up.”
Naidu shared the stage with prominent names like Suniel Shetty, Aman Gupta, and YouTuber Raj Shamani. The event was held at the Google office.
Who is Shantanu Naidu?
Shantanu Naidu is the one of the youngest General Managers in the Tata Group, currently serving as the GM of Tata Motors. The 31-year-old is known for his close personal ties with Ratan Tata, the former Chairman Emeritus of the Tata Group who passed away in October last year.
Naidu came to the limelight when he was seen crying inconsolably at the funeral of Ratan Tata, as he mourned the demise of his close friend and mentor.
Days after Tata’s death, Shantanu Naidu penned a heartbreaking post on his Instagram handle, saying he was still in disbelief that his mentor and friend was no more. “Finally getting a chance to sit down and feel things. Still trying to accept the fact that I will never be able to see him smile again or give him a chance to smile,” Naidu wrote.
Naidu, 31, also mentioned that he received condolence messages from strangers on Ratan Tata’s passing and thanked users for giving him strength during this time of grief.
“In the last 3 days, I have received so many messages from strangers from across the country. Reading these, it feels as if you and I have been part of the family for years. Every time I thought that the grief would end, a message or gesture from one of you would give me a little encouragement,” he said.
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