How the 1962 India-China War tragically ended Ratan Tata's 'first true love' story

In the early 1960s, a young Ratan Tata embarked on a promising chapter of his life in the United States, where as per a recently released biography Ratan Tata: A Life, he developed a romantic relationship with Carolyn Emmons, a 19-year-old college student and the daughter of famed architect Frederick Earl Emmons. According to a TOI news report, the two were introduced through Carolyn’s father, who partnered with fellow designer Archibald Quincy Jones to form Jones and Emmons, a prominent architectural firm.

Tata, fresh from earning a Bachelor of Science in architecture from Cornell University, had reached out to Jones and Emmons for a job opportunity, which led him to Los Angeles, where he met Carolyn.

According to Thomas Mathew’s new biography, Ratan Tata: A Life, Carolyn felt an instant attraction, describing Tata as her “first true love.” Tata and Carolyn’s father bonded over their shared interests, and Carolyn’s mother viewed the young Indian architect as “the most wonderful thing” that could happen to her daughter. The relationship, Mathew writes, seemed filled with possibility, with both families expressing support.


How the India-China Conflict Changed Their Plans
However, the promising romance faced an unexpected obstacle. In July 1962, Tata returned to India to visit his ailing grandmother, with Carolyn intending to follow soon after. But in October 1962, the India-China war broke out. Despite a ceasefire declared within a month, the hostilities between the two nations raised concerns for Carolyn’s family. To them, the situation in India seemed unstable, making her journey there too uncertain.

The war ultimately drove the couple apart. Mathew writes, “Although in just a month, a ceasefire was declared in the subcontinent, to an American, the situation looked too fraught. Soon afterwards, the two drifted apart.” Carolyn eventually married Owen Jones, an architect and pilot, though she later noted, “The funny thing (is that) I married a man who was very much like Ratan.”


Carolyn’s Journey of Rediscovery Decades Later
In 2007, Carolyn’s memories of Tata were unexpectedly rekindled while watching The Darjeeling Limited, a Hollywood film about three estranged brothers taking an emotional journey through India. Following the movie, a friend asked her if she had ever considered visiting India. Mathew recounts that this conversation “triggered an avalanche of memories,” prompting Carolyn to look up Tata online. She discovered that he had since become the chairman of Tata Sons and Tata Trusts.

Carolyn reached out via email, expressing her desire to visit India. Tata welcomed her, and in 2008, Carolyn spent five weeks in the country, reconnecting with Tata and exploring India for the first time. This visit marked the beginning of a renewed connection that continued for years, with Carolyn returning to celebrate Tata’s 80th birthday in 2017.


A Friendship Sustained Through the Years
Mathew notes that Carolyn and Tata’s friendship deepened over time. Carolyn made a point of visiting Tata during her trips to India, including a visit in 2021. Tata, too, met her whenever he was in the United States, often taking her out to dinner. Their enduring friendship was a testament to the bond they had formed decades earlier, a connection that had withstood time, distance, and unforeseen circumstances.

The biography, based on “hundreds of hours of interviews with Ratan Tata,” according to Mathew, captures how Tata held onto cherished memories and meaningful connections throughout his life. Carolyn’s love story with Tata, which had ended abruptly due to geopolitical tensions, ultimately transformed into a close friendship that lasted until Tata’s passing on October 9, 2024.


(With inputs from TOI)