And the Order of the Rising Sun goes to?

After more than 20 years at the helm of the Tata Group, Ratan Tata will not be chairman of the family business from December this year. But that’s not to say he wouldn’t have enough accolades to last him a lifetime – the latest being from the Japanese government.

The 74-year-old will be given the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun, thanks to his role in “strengthening and developing the economic relation between Japan and India”, a statement by the Japanese Embassy said.

Tata, who is set to retire in December 2011 as chairman of the Indian group, will be given the title on 8 May in Tokyo by His Majesty the Emperor of Japan. Established in 1875, the order was the first of its kind to be given by the Japanese government.

This isn’t the first time that Tata, famous for turning the family company into a $100 billion conglomerate, has received a top honour. In 2008, he was awarded the Padma Vibhushan, the second highest civilian award in India, while more recently Harvard Business School named a new building after him.

One more feather in Tata’s cap.