Overview

• Oxford City Council granted planning consent for the four-storey Ratan Tata Building designed by Morris & Co, clearing the way for construction.
• A ground-breaking ceremony was held on September 23, attended by Oxford vice-chancellor Irene Tracey, India’s High Commissioner Vikram Doraiswami, and UK business adviser Varun Chandra.
• The project is funded by the Tata Group and named in honour of philanthropist Ratan Tata, providing a permanent home for the Oxford India Centre for Sustainable Development established in 2013.
• Somerville College conferred its Foundation Fellowship on Tata Sons chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran in recognition of the group’s support for the project.
• The site is the last available development plot within the Radcliffe Observatory Quarter and is reported to be the first university building named after an Indian.