Recollecting his association with Tata (86) who passed away last week, in a post on networking platform LinkedIn, he wrote, “Anybody who met Mr Tata came away with a story about his humanity, warmth, and dreams for India. There really was no one like him.”

Chandrasekaran, who took over as Chairman of Tata Sons in 2017 after the removal of (late) Cyrus Mistry, said his relationship with late Tata “grew over the years, first focusing on business and eventually evolving into a more personal connection”.

“We discussed interests ranging from cars to hotels, but when our conversations turned to other matters — those of daily life — he would show how much he noticed and felt. He was someone to be discovered, over time and through experience,” he recollected.

Remembering how the late Chairman Emeritus of the group laid emphasis on employee welfare, Chandrasekaran wrote, “Just after I became Chairman, I was introduced to a situation within Tata Motors which involved a dispute between the company and the employees’ union over wages for two years.”

He further noted, in March ’17, Mr Tata and I met the union leaders together. During the meeting, Mr Tata relayed three messages: he regretted the delay in finding a resolution. He explained that the company was going through hardship. And both of us committed that this dispute would be concluded within a fortnight.

According to him, “Mr Tata’s direction squarely focused on making sure employees were well taken care of — not just to resolve the dispute, but to ensure their and their families’ well-being”.

“Across other Group companies, his perspective on employees was uniform. It is something that has shaped a number of our leaders across the Group,” wrote  Chandrasekaran, who was the CEO of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) before he became the Chairman of Tata Sons.

Recollecting Tata’s love and care for dogs, Chandrasekaran recollected an instance about renovating the group headquarters “Bombay House” around the same time when the dispute at Tata Motors happened.

“… I expressed a desire to renovate our headquarters, Bombay House. Bombay House had not been touched since 1924, and more important (as many people told me) Mr Tata would not like it. “Bombay House is a temple,” I was told, emphasising its sanctity,” he wrote.

Chandrasekaran recollected when he “finally mentioned to Mr Tata about Bombay House, he (Tata) said, ‘May I ask you something? When you say ‘renovate’, do you mean ‘vacate’?’ I explained that we planned to move everyone to a nearby office.”

Tata wanted to know where the dogs, which were an integral part of Bombay House, often seen at the reception, would go.

Chandrasekaran assured that a kennel would be built for them, to which Tata responded saying ‘Really?’ while considering the proposal.

“When the renovation of Bombay House was complete, Mr Tata wanted to see the kennel first. He was very happy to see how thoughtful the kennel’s design was, and how well the dogs would be cared for,” he noted.

Chandrasekaran further recollected, “Seeing his happiness with the kennel and his priorities was a reminder that while big projects are important, it’s the details that reveal how we think, what we prioritise, and how we are perceived. His joy was confirmation that we had done the right thing.”

According to him, if Tata ever visited a place, he could recall everything — from the placement of (the) smallest piece of furniture, the lighting, colours, and so on.

“His memory was photographic. He remembered the covers and content of books and magazines and referred to them even years later. He was always observing and processing, from large ideas to minute detail,” Chandrasekaran said.

Stating that there is so much else to say about who Tata was, he said, “but for now, as I process his absence, this will have to do: His eye received everything clearly, as his mind perceived everything clearly.”

The post There really was no one like Ratan Tata: N Chandrasekaran appeared first on newsmantra.in l Latest news on Politics, World, Bollywood, Sports, Delhi, Jammu & Kashmir, Trending news | News Mantra.

Incredible and rewarding lifetime from 1937 to 2024, now on an immortal infinite journey. India and the world have lost a “Giant With A Giant Heart.” Myriads of shades of emotional condolence messages are pouring in from all walks of life across the world. Commoners, celebrities, politicians, global personalities, and business tycoons stand united in grief. The feel of the mourning words is threaded in the echoing of “याद बहुत आओगे”… The 86 dazzling milestones of his life’s journey on the Earth will be deeply etched in memories. The demise of RATAN TATA, chairman emeritus of the Tata Group, shook the world. His sagacity, kindness, compassion and brilliancy of business have left behind a colossal legacy— such an enviously big shoes to be filled hardly by anyone. Beyond (business) headlines and boardroom, he–a Padama Vibhushan awardee in 2008 (country’s second-highest civilian award) –was an extraordinary human being and a compassionate soul whose unstinting commitment to make society better for one and all, including animals, with genuine humility has left a deep-rooted mark that will benefit generations to come.

Created by Parsi priest Jamshet-Ji Tata, Tata Group has pedaled a long mile on the business landscape to become a nation-builder from a humble start in 1868. From salt to steel and from Tanishq to Truck, Tata Group has eventually become synonymous with trust under the visionary leadership of Ratan Tata–known as the man who changed the fortune for the Tata Group. Taking the reins of leadership as Chairman of Tata Sons and Chairman of the Tata trusts in March 1991 after his predecessor JRD Tata passed away, Ratan Tata rapidly expanded India’s oldest business conglomerate, 156-year-old, with its operations spanning more than 100 countries which clocked USD 165 billion in revenue in FY 2023-24. His helming of the group coincided with the start of liberalization of the economy in 1990. After finishing his graduation degree in architecture from Cornell University, New York, in 1962, he joined the family firm Tata Group. Ratan Tata hung up his boots as Chairman of Tata Sons in December 2012 after 50 years with the Tata group. He was crowned with the title of Chairman Emeritus of Tata Sons.

Ratan Tata reorganized the Tata Group within six years of his joining. The elevation of business revenue from USD 5.9 billion to USD 100 billion during his retirement has gone through the prism of Tata’s visionary mind with hard work, determination and passion. This process has witnessed sacking of maverick heads of verticals like Russi Modi of Tata Steel, Darbari Seth at Tata Chemicals, and Ajit Kelkar of Indian Hotels Co. His stint with the group has gone through boardroom battles. The acrimonious boardroom fight with Cyrus Mistry snowballed into a public spat with the Shapoorji Pallonji family, which owns 18 percent of Tata Sons. He handed over the baton to Natarajan Chandrasekaran in January 2017 and donned his role of chairman emeritus of Tata Sons.

Ratan Tata not only achieved several groundbreaking achievements but also scripted one of the most outstanding comeback stories in the corporate world.  The epic saga of daggers drawn between Tata and Ford is still reverberating and could be a strong character of Bollywood movie script. In 1999 Ratan Tata decided to sell the car business and met Bill Ford, chairperson of Ford company. During the meeting Bill Ford humiliated Tata saying: “You do not know anything about passenger cars, why did you start the business at all? We are doing you a favour by buying your car division.” Ratan Tata changed the course, not to sell the car division. Known for his never give-up attitude, Tata burnt midnight oil to evolve a better version of Indica, India’s first indigenously manufactured and designed car, which became one of highest selling cars of the company. Nine years later when the “Great Recession 2008” hit the world, Ford badly skidded to bankruptcy. And the table had turned on Ratan Tata who offered to buy Jaguar and Land Rover, and finally a deal was sealed in 2008 to buy the brands from Ford.

Ratan Tata’s dedication to philanthropy and the development of society has touched not only the lives of millions of people, but also dogs and animals. His love for dogs has changed the course of animal welfare in India. In 2018, he canceled his trip to London to receive a prestigious lifetime achievement award for his philanthropic work from Prince Charles (now King Charles III) at Buckingham Palace. The REASON: Ratan Tata’s dog fell sick. Hearing this King Charles could not help but admire him, stating: “That’s a man. That’s the man Ratan is… That’s why the house of Tata is on a stable course.” Tata’s affection for animals extended far beyond his own pets. In July 2023, following years of preparation and setbacks, he inaugurated India’s first Small Animal Hospital in Mahalaxmi, Mumbai. This cutting-edge facility spans 98,000 square feet and marks a significant milestone in animal healthcare.

A true visionary, whose legacy of kindness and leadership will echo through time. His story will forever be cherished by the earth and sky, like a timeless melody:

हम हैं इस पल यहाँ, जाने हो कल कहाँ
हम मिले न मिले, हम रहें न रहें
रहेगी सदा यहाँ, प्यार की ये दास्तान
सुनेंगे सदा जिसे, ये ज़मीन आसमान…

Ramakant Chaudhary is senior journalist and currently working with PRP Group as Content Head. He has worked in various editorial roles with Financial Express, Mint (Hindustan Times Group), The Times Of India, Jagran Post (Dainik Jagran Group), The Pioneer, and The Political and Business Daily. He writes going beyond headlines on: politics, government policy, economy, infrastructure, real estate, education, social issues, lifestyle, and health.

The post TA-TA to His Journey of Immortality, But We Can’t Afford to Say Bye-Bye to This RATAN of Humanity | ‘याद बहुत आओगे’… appeared first on newsmantra.in l Latest news on Politics, World, Bollywood, Sports, Delhi, Jammu & Kashmir, Trending news | News Mantra.

The NCLAT, in its 172-page order reinstating Cyrus Mistry as executive chairman of Tata Sons, had termed the conversion of Tata Sons into a private company ‘illegal’.

It had said that proper procedures — laid out in Section 14 of the Companies Act, 2013 — were not followed, and the permission of the National Company Law Tribunal had not been taken.Top officials in the corporate affairs ministry — which oversees the RoC — said the requisite documents are being sourced.

Mistry’s legal team is believed to be in touch with RoC officials to ensure the change happens quickly. “We don’t see any reason why the RoC cannot make the change as fast as it did for Tata Sons,” said a member of Mistry’s team.

“The first task for the RoC would be to complete the conversion process and record Tata Sons as a ‘public company’. There is a view to not defy the order as that would amount to contempt,” said an official in the know. He sought anonymity.

“The four-week stay granted by the NCLAT is on Cyrus Mistry assuming the office of executive chairman of Tata Sons. There is no stay on the RoC part of the verdict. So, there is a possibility that Tata Sons may move the Supreme Court against the part of the NCLAT order that termed the change in classification by RoC as illegal. The RoC is closely monitoring the same,” official said.

In September 2017, Tata Sons received shareholder approval to convert itself into a private entity. Mistry, whose family owns 18.4% stake in the Tata Group’s holding company, had opposed the move saying it “would impact fund raising ability of the holding company and restrict the sale of stakes to outsiders”.

The post RoC May Soon Classify TATA Sons As ‘Public Company’ appeared first on newsmantra.in l Latest news on Politics, World, Bollywood, Sports, Delhi, Jammu & Kashmir, Trending news | News Mantra.