My humble Homage to the great man, Ratan Tata

Ratan Tata my friend whom I admired immensely is no more. My 5 decades of relation with him became more intense during & after globalisation hit Indian industry like a tsunami. Indian businessmen were selling out. I met many of them, but found Ratan stunningly different. Why?

He was confident not only about the Tata group but about India. He said we need to withstand the initial shock and we would emerge. Asked him about his response. He said Indica, an Indian car. Not just a confident response. Almost an arrogant one at that time.

That confidence later manifested in emergence of Tata Motors, acquisition of British steel, auto businesses. Ans more. Why British? When Jamshed Tata started Tata steel the White head of Indian Railways mocked "you guys are good at rice production. Produce steel. I will eat"

Tata took it as a challenge. Raising capital was impossible. Dorab Tata appealed in the name of Swadeshi movement sweeping India then and asked for equity of 15 m. Indian rich gave 25 m. Tata steel started as Swadeshi Industry which Tata steel proudly mentions even today

I saw the same spirit in him. His soft and mild exterior concealed the steely Nationalist in him. His love of India towered over the business interests of the Tata group. A proud patriot he was he saw india's rise, lived to see it and contributed in no small measure for it.

In the post globalisation ecosystem when business became a dog eating dog affair he carefully ensured that the Tata group was protected against any invasion and made it stand on its feet. He led from the front, and created a succession model thinkable in Indian business.

A small anecdote. A shy and reserved person he told me when he met LK Advani an equally shy & reserved man they didn't know how to start their conversation and stopped with a handshake and parted. When I made both meet for breakfast both laughed recalling it.

A noble soul sent me a tribute in Hindi which in English read "What one brought is not important, but what one left behind is" depicting the mighty and expansive Tata group he has left behind. He leaves behind not just a mighty group but a noble culture and values in business.

My humble homage to the great man. I am proud we were friends without any momentary relation between us. He was indeed a Karma Yogi. An incident. As I got into a Mercedes car with a friend Ratan who saw us off got into the driver's seat his little Indica and drove away!