Sir Ratan Tata Trust (SRTT) came into being in 1919 with a sum of Indian currency 8 million. It is under the ownership of Ratan Tata. Established in accordance with the will of Sir Ratanji Tata,[1] the Trust is now one of the oldest grant bestowing foundations in India.[2]
The Trust has, for about a century, been instrumental in development processes, providing grants to institutions in the areas of rural livelihoods and communities, education, health, enhancing civil society and governance and arts, crafts and culture.[3] [4]
The Trust provides grants and partner with organisations that engage in innovative and sustainable initiatives and with the potential to make a visible difference. It also provides grants for endowments, has a separate programme for small grants and gives grants to individuals for education and medical relief.
SRTT is part of Tata Trusts which is headed by the CEO Siddharth Sharma.
The grants offered by the Trust can be broadly classified as:[5]
The bulk of these grants are in the areas of rural livelihoods and communities andeducation. Within rural livelihoods and communities the Trust focuses on key initiatives withintwo broad areas:
This programme is currently headed by Amrita Patwardhan.
This programme is currently headed by Dr. Vikram Gupta.
This programme is currently headed by Vartika Jaini.
Under this sub-theme, the Trust focuses on revival of the performing arts with a strong emphasis on the livelihoods of performing artists. This will be achieved through support to:
Through this new sub-theme, the SRTT aim to ensure sustenance of crafts and craft communities. The Trust looks to support initiatives that:
Under this sub-theme, SRTT primarily supports projects to devise strategies by which to conserve national art treasures and enhance public use and access to endangered cultural heritage.
The Trust supports community based media projects that have the potential to add value to the quality of life of communities, especially in the rural areas.
The Trust has developed and used endowments to sustain mission-driven institutions that influence positive change in society. It has a formal endowment strategy with well-set norms and clearly defined criteria that enable it to identify and appraise deserving institutions. The endowment portfolio includes Professional Assistance for Development Action (New Delhi), National Council of Applied Economic Research (New Delhi), Child Relief and You (Mumbai), Centre for Science and Environment (New Delhi) and Children's Book Trust (New Delhi).[6]
Tata Sons and Ratan Tata donated 1,500 crore to the PM CARES Fund to fight against the COVID-19 pandemic in India.[7]
The Sir Ratan Tata Small Grant Programme (SGP) was launched in 1998–99. These grants cater to the needs of small, welfare-oriented organisations, and those needing support to implement innovative ideas. It was later amended to accommodate the worthy larger organisations that needed funding for strategic planning, focused research activities, or strengthening internal systems.[8] [9]
The Individual Grants Programme of the Trust provides financial help for: