Ratan Tata’s first love story couldn’t become successful due to the India China war, however he reunited with her after almost 40 years.
The 1962 India-China war altered not only the course of history but also deeply impacted the personal life of Ratan Tata, ending his first love story that began in the United States. According to Thomas Mathew’s biography Ratan Tata: A Life, the love and friendship Tata shared with Carolyn Emmons were interrupted by geopolitical tensions started after the India-China war in 1962.
Ratan Tata Love Story
In the early 1960s, a young Ratan Tata moved to the United States, where he met his “first true love.” He had recently completed a Bachelor of Science in architecture from Cornell University and reached out to Jones and Emmons, a renowned architectural firm co-founded by Archibald Quincy Jones and Frederick Earl Emmons, seeking job opportunities. It was through this connection that he met Carolyn Emmons, Frederick’s 19-year-old daughter and a college student.
The two shared an instant connection, as Carolyn later described Tata as her “first true love.” Carolyn’s family also liked Ratan Tata; her father bonded with him over shared interests, and her mother saw Tata as the ideal partner for her daughter. The relationship seemed to have the support of both families and was filled with possibilities.
Ratan Tata Parted From First Love
In July 1962, Tata returned to India to visit his sick grandmother, and Carolyn was also going to follow him soon after. However, in October 1962, the India-China war broke out, and although a ceasefire was declared within a month, the instability in the region made Carolyn’s family hesitant about her traveling to India. For them, the situation seemed unpredictable, and the trip felt too risky.
In the end, the geopolitical conflict prevented the young couple from reuniting, and they slowly parted their ways. Reflecting on her later marriage to architect and pilot Owen Jones, Carolyn noted, “The funny thing (is that) I married a man who was very much like Ratan.”
Ratan Tata Reunited With ‘First Love’
Decades after their separation, a chance encounter with a Hollywood film brought Carolyn’s memories of Tata rushing back. In 2007, while watching The Darjeeling Limited—a movie about three brothers journeying through India Carolyn was reminded of Tata and the country she had never visited. A friend asked if she had ever considered going to India, which “triggered an avalanche of memories,” according to a book. Carolyn looked up Tata online and discovered that he had since become the chairman of Tata Sons and Tata Trusts.
Encouraged by this discovery, Carolyn reached out to Tata through email, expressing her desire to visit India. Tata warmly welcomed her, and in 2008, Carolyn spent five weeks in India, reconnecting with Tata and exploring the country she once dreamed of visiting. This trip marked the beginning of a renewed connection that would endure for years.
Over the years, Carolyn and Tata maintained a close friendship. Carolyn frequently visited India and made it a point to see Tata during her trips, even celebrating his 80th birthday with him in 2017. Tata, too, would meet Carolyn whenever he traveled to the U.S., often treating her to dinner.