Ratan Tata : The Man Who Redefined Industrialists, Patriotism and Charity
R.K.Upadhyay
Ratan Tata is one of the few rare businessman or industrialists whose death would be genuinely mourned by crores of people not only in India but in so many other countries too.
Born in 1937 , there was nothing exceptional about his childhood except that due to divorced parents he was raised by his grand mother . He did graduation in architecture from Cornel University USA . He joined Tata group at shop floor level in 1961. He was noticed when he took over and turned around NELCO a TATA group electronic company . He succeeded JRD Tata in 1991 .
Right in the beginning old stalwarts like Rusy Modi of TISCO , Darabari Seth of Tata Chemicals objected to a youngster ( 53 vs 73) being made in charge . But Tata made a seventy five year retiring rule and got rid of them . Some went shrieking like Darbari Seth who appointed his son vice him only to be over ruled .
I had just returned from Zambia and was watching this battle with keen interest .
Ratan Tata first act although not favoured by every one was to get rid of non core business or companies not doing so well . Tata Timken a roller bearing manufacturing company for Railways was amongst those sold . So was Tata Mc Graw Hill the publisher of best text books for higher studies and many more .
TISCO was put under J.J.Irani who supported by Tata was amongst first to realise that future was in Quality improvement . Thus Quality and honesty became the hall mark of all Tata companies and it has paid in the long run.. The most surprising choice was Tanishq for gold jewellery . People used to buy gold from their family ‘ Sunar ‘. Tanishq started free testing of gold in Tanishq shops . People soon realised that their family jeweller was not that trust worthy as they thought .
Take over of British Tea brand Tetley, Corus Steel and Jaguar Motors after Ford has failed brought India into big league particularly after Jaguar became a profit making company . Corus Steel limped . But TATA today is one of the biggest employer in UK .
The crown jewel was TCS . Its success is best explained in my friend Deepak Anand’64 words . When he joined TCS as head of Delhi area , he was ushered into the august room of F.C.Kohli the founder of TCS. He prepared tea for Deepak and told that he reads every word of PCDO carefully . But although Deepak would write about his successes but never he wants to hear a complaint from a customer . For decades customer satisfaction became the identity of TCS.
But as he grew old , Tata to developed his weaknesses . He became like a Moghul King . If he stayed at a hotel and he liked it he will buy it! Apart from profit he started caring for his legacy and reputation . Tata Nano was one such example . Cyrus Mistry was doing the right thing and cleaning Tata stable of dead wood projects like Nano . But unlike JRD, Ratan sacked Mistry . Mistry was on right track and would have done well .
But what the knowledgeables in the nation will remember Ratan Tata for is his ability to take on any impossible project and make it a success . He built up such a formidable team of managers that it would be envy of the whole nation and even countries like UK etc . So you have TATA in defence , chips , Aircrafts , Guns but also making Masalas and salt .
Business is often defined as a venture to make money Ratan Tata made it a way of serving the nation along with profit . Similarly Patriotism is often defined as making the supreme sacrifice of life for the nation like Bhagat Singh . Ratan Tata also added living for making the nation great .
The house of Tatas set up Tata cancer hospital , TIFR or innovation hubs but did not make mandir , mosques or places of worship . Unlike our actors , he did not discover his new questionable roots when he became rich . Tatas redefined charity in a much bigger way.
I as a young boy felt very sad when Nehru died . Lately I felt sad when Jagjit Singh died as his voice gave so much peace .
But Ratan Tata died at a very matured age and after achieving so much . But like millions in India , I feel I have lost some thing dear .
That was Ratan Tata.
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