Here's how Shantanu Naidu's midnight birthday surprise for Ratan Tata left him 'visibly awkward'

In his 2021 memoir ‘I Came Upon a Lighthouse: A Short Memoir of Life with Ratan Tata,’ Shantanu Naidu described him as an "introvert" who hated public gatherings and limelight. Naidu, who is serving as a manager at Tata Group, was Ratan Tata's closest aide and regarded as his right hand.

Ratan Tata breathed his last on October 9, at the age of 86. His final rites were performed in Mumbai with full state honours with many veterans from all walks of life mourning his demise. 

Shantanu Naidu, 30, was captured leading the industrialist's hearse on a bike, yesterday. He was seen quite emotional at the moment. Let's unfold an untold story about the business tycoon who felt "visibly awkward" on receiving a midnight birthday surprise by his closest friend and aide. 

Here's how Shantanu's birthday surprise left Tata "visibly awkward"

Naidu shared that he had once travelled to Hyderabad with Ratan Tata to attend a high-profile wedding. The wedding, coincidentally, fell a day before Tata's birthday. Having planned an adorable birthday surprise, Naidu called their hotel and requested the concerned authorities to arrange two cupcakes at midnight. 

In order to keep Ratan Tata awake till the midnight, Naidu and Vinit, one of Tata's "good friends" and part of his flight cabin crew, started chatting with him in his hotel room. 

Around 11 p.m., Naidu and Vinit realised that Ratan Tata was feeling sleepy. They somehow kept the conversation going on on pretext or the other. However, at around 11:45 p.m., the duo gave up and spilled the beans on the surprise which they had planned for him. 

Shanatanu Naidu further says in the book that Ratan Tata was "visibly awkward" having found that out. He requested them not to sing a birthday song for him. However, they turned down his request and sang 'Happy Birthday' to him.