What happened to Ratan Tata's authorised biography that HarperCollins acquired in a record deal

Though Ratan Tata remained a titan in India Inc, no movie was ever made on him. He has penned several books about leadership and innovation, but for those eager to read about the entrepreneur's life, the tidbits only came from his rare interviews and biographies. 

But, the reports about his first authorised biography generated huge buzz after HarperCollins acquired the deal for a price of Rs 2 crore, a record in the history of non-fiction publishing in India.

Titled Ratan N. Tata: A Life, written by former senior bureaucrat and retired IAS officer Thomas Mathew, was tipped as the most anticipated release of the year 2023. It was said that the book contained anecdotes of Ratan Tata from interviewees who range from US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger to Karuna to the janitor at GT Hospital, Mumbai.

The fact that Mathew had access to the private papers, correspondence and photographs of Ratan Tata over the past decades made it a much-anticipated read.

Harper Collins had initially planned to release the book on November 2022, which was later pushed to March 30 2023, However, they had to further defer the release date to February 5. The release did not happen and the publisher has not yet given any update.

 Though Mathew had shared the manuscript with Ratan Tata in 2022, reports indicated that his close aides, including some of the family members, were still considering the material that would be published in the book. 

"Less than half a dozen people know the real reason behind the delay," an executive with the publisher told The Mint in February. He added that a man of Ratan Tata's stature needed time to process all that should be published. "Before you conclude on what parts are being objected to, please appreciate that this is an authorised book," he said, adding that the author and the publisher have no objection to removing anything. 

The book is also said to have contained details of Tata's personal life and unreported events that led to the ouster of former Tata Sons chairman Cyrus Mistry.