Tara Ranjan Patnaik from Odisha is a well known industrialist now in INDIA. He became famous over the country after his name was in the Hurun India Rich List 2024. In this list Tara Ranjan Patnaik and his family were at number 540. They have a wealth of ₹4,900 crore.
Tara Ranjan Patnaik is one of the people behind Falcon Marine Exports. This company is a part of the Falcon Group. Under the leadership of Tara Ranjan Patnaik the Falcon Group has become the seafood exporter, in India. The Falcon Group does things like processing seafood making animal feed producing French fries, trading and real estate. The group has a strong presence across Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, and Dubai, reinforcing its status as a major force in India’s export-driven industries. The Hurun report, compiled by renowned researcher Rupert Hoogewerf of the Luxembourg-based Hurun Research, placed industrial giants Adani and Ambani at the top of the list, highlighting Patnaik’s rise among India’s elite business leaders.
India has a lot of stories about people who start their businesses. These stories are about people who want to succeed who face problems and who finally achieve their goals.. The story of Mr. Tara Ranjan Patnaik is really interesting. He did not want to be a businessman at first. However he built a big company in India that exports marine products. Mr. Tara Ranjan Patnaik started his business with a loan of ₹2 lakh and a few boats that catch fish. Over time he was able to build a business with a turnover of ₹1,500 crore. Now Mr. Tara Ranjan Patnaik is well known over the world for exporting seafood. Mr. Tara Ranjan Patnaiks company is one of the largest, in India and people respect him for what he has achieved in seafood exports.
Tara Ranjan Patnaik says he is a businessman by accident. The story of Tara Ranjan Patnaiks life shows us that sometimes life takes us to places we never thought we would go. Tara Ranjan Patnaiks journey is not about making money. It is, about being brave dealing with times learning from mistakes and always believing in hard work and being honest. Tara Ranjan Patnaiks life is an example of this.
Early Life and Family Background
Tara Ranjan Patnaik was born on 14 March 1953 in Anandapur subdivision of Keonjhar district Odisha. He was raised in a home where money was not abundant but his family had a strong connection to the law. Tara Ranjan Patnaiks father, Late Padmanava Patnaik worked as a lawyer in the courts. Education was very important, to the family of Tara Ranjan Patnaik.
Tara was the child out of eight kids. He grew up in a home where people were taught to be responsible and work hard. People in his family always talked about how important it’s to have a good job and be stable. So it was pretty obvious what Tara was supposed to do. Tara was supposed to be a lawyer like the others, in Patnaik family.
The family did not have a lot of money. They made sure they had everything they needed. This simple life really helped shape the person he became. He stayed down, to earth even when he became very successful.
An Uneven Academic Journey
He started going to school at a government school, in Anandapur in 1954.
• In 1969 he went to Bhadrak College to study science. He lived in a hostel.. The students were always going on strike and that caused a lot of unrest. This made it hard for him to focus on his studies. So he decided to leave Bhadrak College after one year of studying science at Bhadrak College.
• He went back to Keonjhar. Studied science from 1970 to 1971 but over time he just was not interested in science anymore so his interest, in science started to fade away.
• In 1972 he changed to the arts stream. Finihed his graduation from Anandapur College. He completed his graduation from Anandapur College, in the arts stream.
Though his academic journey lacked continuity, it exposed him to real-world uncertainties early in life—preparing him mentally for future risks.
Law College and a Turning Point in Life
In 1973 Tara moved to Cuttack. Started going to Madhusudhan Law College. He really wanted to be a lawyer, like his father and siblings. At that time Taras life was going the way his family thought it should. He was doing what they expected him to do, which was to become a lawyer like the rest of his family, like his father and siblings.
Something unexpected happened and that changed everything it seems that destiny really did intervene.
In 1975 Tara had a conversation with his friend and classmate J Rahmat. This conversation changed Taras life forever. J Rahmat told Tara that he should invest in fishing trawlers. So J Rahmat introduced Tara to the world of business. The business world was totally new to Tara. Tara did not know much, about the business world before J Rahmat introduced him to fishing trawlers.
The First Venture and Crushing Failure
Tara Ranjan Patnaik and his friend got a loan of about ₹2 lakh, from the Odisha State Financial Corporation. They used this loan to buy three to four fishing trawlers. Tara Ranjan Patnaik and his friend owned these fishing trawlers as partners. They hired a team of fihermen to help them. Tara Ranjan Patnaik and his friend also went into the sea themselves to see how things worked.
The work was really dangerous. The waves were unpredictable. The weather was harsh. There were not safety measures in place which made every trip to the sea very risky. It was, during this time that Tara learned to swim in an unusual way. Tara learned to swim by jumping into the sea. Tara did this because Tara believed in what people can do and Tara was very courageous.
The business did not do well. It failed. The business failed because of things even though people tried very hard to make the business work. The business just failed.
Tara did not have knowledge about the industry, which caused a lot of problems with running the business and money issues. This led to Tara losing a lot of money. Tara had to sell the trawlers to pay back the loan. The time, with the trawlers was one of the times of Taras life. Tara had to deal with a lot of difficulties during this time with the trawlers.
The person did not give up. He kept going. Did not quit.
Learning from Failure and Rebuilding
The trawler business did not do well with money but it gave Tara the marine industry experience it gave Tara the marine industry contacts. It gave Tara the marine industry insight, which is really valuable, to Tara.
In 1978 he started buying prawns from the fihermen and the people who grow them and then he sold these prawns to companies in Odisha that already export them. This new way of doing things meant he had less to worry about. He could learn a lot more, about the prawn business.
Tara worked hard for seven years. He made friends with people who sell things to countries. Tara wanted to know what makes something good quality. He also wanted to know what people in countries want to buy. The United States was a place he was interested, in he wanted to know what people there want to buy from other countries like the things these exporters sell.
This period laid the foundation for everything that followed.
Birth of Falcon Marine Exports
In 1985 Tara Ranjan Patnaik had a lot of experience. Felt very confident. So he started a company called Falcon Marine Export Private Limited, in Bhubaneswar. Tara Ranjan Patnaik was the person who began Falcon Marine Export Private Limited.
The man named the company Falcon because it reminded him of his dream to go really high. He wanted Falcon to be a success but even he did not think it would become as big as it is today. Falcon is a name, for the company and it is nice that it was inspired by his dream of flying high with Falcon.
At first Falcon Marine had other people do the processing and packaging for them.. Then Tara figured out that it is really important for Falcon Marine to have their own facilities so they can make sure everything is done right. Falcon Marine can grow.
Infrastructure Expansion and Rapid Growth
• In the year 1987 to 1988 Falcon Marine had a turnover of ₹4.66 crore, which’s a big deal, for Falcon Marine. Falcon Marine did well during this time and the turnover of Falcon Marine was really good.
• In the year 1990 to 1991 the companys turnover was than ₹12.5 crore. The company was exporting around 850 tonnes of products every year during that time. This was a deal, for the company as the turnover of ₹12.5 crore was a significant amount and the company was able to export 850 tonnes annually.
Processing Units
• 1993: They set up their processing unit at Mancheswar, Bhubaneswar. This unit was on 15 acres of land. The company spent ₹20 crore on this project at Mancheswar, Bhubaneswar. The processing unit was a step, for them.
• 1994: Second unit establihed at Paradeep on 14 acres, also costing ₹20 crore
Tara funded both facilities with loans. He paid back these loans on. This shows that Tara is very good, at managing money and making financial decisions with the facilities. Tara took care of the part of the facilities in a responsible way.
Facing Natural Disaster and Strategic Shift
In the year 1999 Odisha was hit by a bad cyclone. The cyclone caused a lot of damage, to Falcon Marine. They lost a lot of money at their Paradeep plant, ₹2 crore. They also lost money at Mancheswar, around ₹60–70 lakh because of all the flooding. The flooding really hurt Falcon Marine at these places.
Tara did not back down he adapted to the situation. Tara found a way to deal with things. That is what Tara did he adapted.
He started a way of farming called contract farming. This was small farmers could grow prawns. Falcon helped these farmers by giving them the tools they needed the materials to get started and a promise to buy what they grew. This meant that Falcon always had a supply of prawns and the farmers felt more in control of their farms. The contract farming model and Falcons help made a difference, for the small farmers who were growing prawns.
Today Falcon Marine has than 5,000 farmers working with Falcon Marine. This makes Falcon Marine one of the networks, for getting things in India. Falcon Marine is really strong because of all the farmers who work with Falcon Marine.
Becoming India’s Largest Marine Exporter
By the year 2000, to 2001 Falcon Marine did well. They made a lot of money around ₹157 crore. The company was also sending out a lot of goods over 3,100 tonnes every year. Over time Falcon Marine became:
• Buyer of 65% of Odisha’s seafood
• Employer of 5,000+ people
• Exporter to 100+ global buyers
Falcon Marine has been doing a job for a long time more than 15 years. They have been getting a recognition from MPEDA. Falcon Marine is known as Indias marine exporter with the highest value of exports. Falcon Marine has been working hard to achieve this. It is a big deal for them to be recognized by MPEDA as the highest-value marine exporter, in India.
Diversification and Falcon Group
Patnaik Steel and Alloys Limited (2006)
• Integrated steel plant at Jora, Odisha
• This place is spread out over a big area of 120 acres
• Investment: ₹200 crore
Falcon Real Estate Pvt Ltd (2008)
• Land bank of 300 acres
Development of 120 apartments
Investment: ₹45 crore
Tara did not change his focus he still thought that seafood was the thing he was really good, at it was what he knew best seafood was his main thing.
Family and Next Generation Leadership
In the year 2008 Parthajeet Patnaik, who is his son joined the business. Parthajeet Patnaik has an MBA degree from London. His daughter-in-law Priyanka Mohanty is also much involved, in the business Parthajeet Patnaiks business.
Under the generation Falcon aims to:
• Expand seafood varieties
• he say that i want to be the seafood exporter in all of Asia so people in many countries can enjoy the seafood that we have to offer. This is a goal, for our seafood business to become Asias largest seafood exporter and make sure that everyone knows about the great seafood that we have. We will work hard to make sure that we are the best and that our seafood is the frehest and the tastiest so we can become Asias largest seafood exporter.
• Strengthen international presence, including an office in Dubai
• We should think about getting into areas such as chemicals, food for fish stores that sell seafood and processing farm products. The new sectors we are talking about include chemicals, aqua feed, retail seafood and agro-processing. This can be an idea because these sectors are related to the food industry and the new sectors like chemicals and agro-processing can really help us. We need to look at all these sectors including chemicals, aqua feed, retail seafood and agro-processing to see which ones are the best, for us.
The Falcon Group will make a lot of money it is expected to reach four thousand crore rupees by the year 2025 to 2026. The Falcon Group is really going to be big, by then.
Awards and Recognition
• MPEDA Award – Highest Value Exporter (15+ years)
• Featured as “Crown Jewel of Odisha” by VARINDIA
• Recognized internationally as a top marine products exporter
Philosophy and Legacy
Tara Ranjan Patnaik’s success mantra is simple yet profound:
“Work hard with honesty and dedication.”
This guy went from being the son of a lawyer with no experience in business, to someone who exports things around the world and affects the lives of thousands of people. His life is a good example of what it means to keep going even when things are tough. The story of his life shows that if you work hard and do not give up you can achieve things just like he did as a global exporter.
His story proves that:
• Failure is a teacher, not an end
• Where you come from does not decide what you will become. Your background is just that. It is in the past. It does not have the power to limit what you can achieve in life. You are, in control of your destiny. The things that happen to you when you are growing up and the place you call home these things do not determine your future. You have the ability to make choices and create the life you want. Your destiny is what you make of it. It is not decided by your background.
• When you have a vision and you do the right thing, that is when you get success that really lasts. Having a vision is important. Having integrity is just as important, for the success of your vision.
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This is a story about a man from Odisha who did something amazing. He went out to the seas. He came back a winner. The man, from Odisha was very brave. He did a great job. A son of Odisha who conquered the seas is a deal. This son of Odisha is a hero because he was able to conquer the seas.
Tara Ranjan Patnaiks life is really amazing. It is not about being successful in business. It is about being brave and able to adapt to things. Tara Ranjan Patnaiks story is a story of courage and belief. He learned how to swim by jumping into the sea. Now he has a business that exports things from the sea and it is worth a lot of money. Tara Ranjan Patnaiks life is an inspiration to people, in India who want to start their own businesses.
Odisha proudly claims him as its own—a self-made visionary who turned accidental beginnings into extraordinary achievements.
Tara Ranjan Patnaik – Biography Table
| Field | Details |
| Full Name | Tara Ranjan Patnaik |
| Date of Birth | 14 March 1953 |
| Age | 64 years (as of 2017) |
| Birthplace | Anandapur, Keonjhar District, Odisha, India |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Profession | Entrepreneur, Industrialist |
| Known For | Founder of Falcon Marine Export Private Limited |
| Business Identity | “Businessman by Accident” |
| Father’s Name | Late Padmanava Patnaik |
| Father’s Profession | Civil Lawyer |
| Family Background | Middle-class family of lawyers |
| Siblings | Fourth among eight siblings |
| Education (School) | Government School, Anandapur |
| College Education | Bhadrak College (Science – incomplete), Anandapur College (Arts – Graduate) |
| Law Education | Madhusudhan Law College, Cuttack |
| Original Career Plan | Lawyer |
| Entry into Business | 1975 (Fishing trawlers business) |
| First Business Investment | ₹2 lakh loan |
| First Business Outcome | Failure and financial loss |
| Major Turning Point | Supplying prawns directly to exporters (1978) |
| Company Founded | Falcon Marine Export Private Limited |
| Year of Establishment | 1985 |
| Headquarters | Bhubaneswar, Odisha |
| Industry | Marine Products & Seafood Exports |
| Processing Units | Mancheswar (1993), Paradeep (1994) |
| Export Markets | USA and other international markets |
| Annual Turnover | ₹1,500 crore (2016–17) |
| Target Turnover | ₹2,000 crore |
| Farmers Associated | 5,000+ contract farmers |
| Employees | 5,000+ |
| Share of Odisha Seafood | Buyer of 65% of Odisha’s seafood |
| Other Group Companies | Patnaik Steel & Alloys Ltd, Falcon Real Estate Pvt Ltd |
| Steel Business Entry | 2006 |
| Real Estate Entry | 2008 |
| Son | Parthajeet Patnaik |
| Son’s Qualification | MBA (London) |
| Daughter-in-law | Priyanka Mohanty |
| Major Award | MPEDA Award – Highest Value Exporter |
| Award Period | 15 consecutive years |
| Business Philosophy | “Work hard with honesty and dedication” |
| Recognition | Crown Jewel of Odisha (VARINDIA) |
| Current Focus | Seafood exports |
| Vision | Become Asia’s largest seafood exporter |