German lender Deutsche Bank on Thursday said it has installed a commemorative plaque to honour the legacy of industrialist Ratan Tata in Deutsche House.

The South Mumbai building, a heritage property, was acquired by the lender in 1992 and served as the private residence of the Tata family.

Ratan Tata’s half-brother and current chairman of Tata Trusts Noel Tata was present at the event, as per an official statement.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Ratan Tata, chairman emeritus of one of India’s biggest conglomerates, Tata Sons, got the reins of Tata Group in March 1991. Almost three decades ago, in 1997, Ratan Tata appeared on the show ‘Rendezvous with Simi Garewal’ where he revealed how the takeover happened. JRD Tata was suffering from heart disease and was admitted to Breach Candy Hospital in Mumbai when he broke the news and asked Ratan Tata to take over.

“We were in Jamshedpur together for a function and I had to go to Stuttgart for some negotiations. When I came back, I heard he had a heart problem and he was in Breach Candy Hospital. He was there a week and I’d see him every day. He was out on a Friday and the following Monday, I went to see him in the office,” Ratan Tata recalled.

Narrating the incident, he added, “He would always start meeting by asking, ‘Well, what’s new?’ And I said, ‘J I’d been seeing you every day, there is nothing new since I saw you last.’ He said, ‘Well, I have something that is new that I want to tell you. Sit down. What has happened to me in Jamshedpur has made me think that I need to step down and I have decided that you should take my place.’ After a few days, he took it to the board.”

While Ratan Tata didn’t remember the date the news was broken to the board, Simi Garewal suggested it was March 25, 1991.

Further narrating the scene from the boardroom when “history was created” and how everyone “was moved”, he said, “I have heard many of my colleagues say that there was a history that day because apart from the fact that he was stepping down from a position that he had held for 40 to 50 years, there was a lot of emotion attached to his giving up this position in favour of someone. But the history and emotion that everyone talks about is not that move.”

JRD Tata revisited all the years he had put into the business. “He reminisced through years at that meeting and I can’t reproduce any of that emotionally or otherwise but that meeting went on like an archival recount of all his days in Tata. Never his own praise but his experiences as he went through. There was history that day and we all came out very moved.”

It was the end of an era and at the same time, the beginning of a new one.

When asked what he learned from JRD Tata, which he carries with him, Ratan Tata said, it is his sense of justice which was prevalent. “His value system, his simplicity, and his sense of justice have stayed with me and I hope I can emulate them even half.”

Ratan Tata, 86, died on Wednesday night. He was admitted to Mumbai’s Breach Candy hospital in a critical condition, where he breathed his last. Ever since then, his previous interviews have been doing rounds on the internet.

New Delhi:

Air India, Air India Express and Vistara are making inflight announcements on Thursday in remembrance of Tata Group patriarch Ratan Tata for whom aviation was especially close to his heart.

Ratan Tata, 86, who was also Tata Sons Chairman Emeritus, breathed his last on Wednesday night at a Mumbai hospital.

Officials on Thursday said the three airlines, part of the Tata Group, will be making announcements in remembrance of Ratan Tata in their flights during the day.

The demise of Ratan Tata also comes at a time when the conglomerate is in the process of completing the consolidation of its airline business — the integration of Air India Express and AIX Connect was completed on October 1 while the merger of Vistara with Air India is set for November 12.

Vistara is a joint venture between the Tata Group and Singapore Airlines.

Air India CEO and MD Campbell Wilson told the staff that Air Indians especially acknowledge and are grateful for Ratan Tata’s immense contribution to Indian aviation and to the Tata airlines.

In his message to employees, Air India Express MD Aloke Singh said Ratan Tata’s passion and immense contribution to aviation and his guidance in the shaping the group and organisation makes the loss deeper.

“His legacy lives on and continues to inspire us in our journey ahead,” he added.

Vistara CEO Vinod Kannan told staff that Ratan Tata has been and will continue to be an inspiration to all of us in the Tata Group and across the nation. “The aviation vertical was especially close to his heart”.

Meanwhile, as a mark of respect for late Ratan Tata, Air India Express switched over to a theme featuring white lillies in a dark background on its website and social media handles.

Not just the Tata Group airlines, IndiGo, SpiceJet, and Akasa Air also paid tributes to Ratan Tata.

Aircraft maker Boeing’s India and South Asia President Salil Gupte said his remarkable contributions have left an indelible mark not only on the aerospace and defence sectors but also on various industries and society at large.

“Mr. Tata exemplified integrity, innovation, and compassion, guiding the Tata Group to unprecedented heights while upholding the highest standards of corporate responsibility. His influence will continue to inspire future generations, serving as a guiding light for all of us in the industry,” Gupte said in a statement.

Remi Maillard, President & Managing Director at Airbus India & South Asia, said Ratan Tata’s leadership shone through in business as well as in philanthropy and that the exemplary thing was his modesty, humanity and belief that success is most rewarding when shared with the community.

“Mr Tata’s passion for aviation is well known. We will fondly remember hosting him in Toulouse and discussing his love of flying and aviation in general. His zeal and vision for the revival of Air India as part of the Tata family will continue to inspire.” he said in a post on LinkedIn.

IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers said his invaluable contribution, source of inspiration and legacy, in so many areas to the nation, will live on.

“At IndiGo, we are grateful for his visionary leadership and contribution to Indian aviation, and deeply saddened by the loss,” according to Elber’s message posted by IndiGo on Instagram.

On X, Akasa Air said Ratan Tata’s legacy is one of unparalleled excellence, innovation and compassion.

SpiceJet, in a post on X, mourned the passing away of Ratan Tata and described him as a visionary leader and pioneering entrepreneur who dedicated his life to building modern India through innovation and social responsibility.

Singapore Airlines, which has a long association with the Tata Group, expressed condolences on the demise of Ratan Tata, saying he was a “visionary global business leader, as well as a cherished partner and dear friend”.

“He played a pivotal role in setting up our Vistara joint venture over a decade ago, laying the foundation for a strong and enduring relationship between Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines. Vistara quickly established itself as India’s most-loved full service airline,” Singapore Airlines CEO Goh Choon Phong said in a statement.

Ratan Tata, who was also a pilot and passionate about aviation, played a key role in Tata Group’s acquisition of Air India from the government in January 2022.

Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu, in a post on X, said Ratan Tata’s visionary leadership not only transformed India’s industry but also played a pivotal role in shaping the country’s aviation sector.

As a mark of respect for late Ratan Tata, European aircraft maker Airbus on Thursday cancelled the inauguration of its new India and South Asia headquarters and training centre in the national capital.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Ratan Tata died at the age of 86 in Mumbai on Wednesday. The industrialist was recognised for his integrity, ethical leadership and commitment to philanthropy, making him an iconic figure both in India and internationally. Following his demise, several people whose lives he impacted in large and small ways paid tribute to the industrialist. Among them was Congress politician Gurdeep Singh Sappal, who shared a poignant memory of his meeting with the business tycoon. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Mr Sappal recounted a visit to Mr Tata’s home in Colaba, Mumbai. 

In his post, Mr Sappal recalled that in 2015, Ahmed Patel, the former veteran Congress leader, asked him to arrange a meeting with Mr Tata. “It was decided that both will meet at Ratan Tata’s Colaba residence in Mumbai. Accordingly, Ahmed Patel ji and I reached his house as per schedule, a house with seemingly middle-class furnishings! Mr Sappal wrote. 

Take a look at the post below: 

Some memories stay forever. Memory of one such meeting with Ratan Tata is etched in my mind.

It was in 2015. Ahmed Patel ji asked me to schedule an appointment with him. It was decided that both will meet at Ratan Tata’s Colaba residence in Mumbai.

Accordingly, Ahmed Patel ji… pic.twitter.com/Pty2AUzukv

— Gurdeep Singh Sappal (@gurdeepsappal) October 9, 2024

Mr Sappal said that he observed initial awkwardness between the two men, revealing they had never met personally before. He claimed that he was surprised to see the two men had never met before. “I was aghast to know that it was their first ever personal meeting! One was the amongst the top corporates of India and the other was one of the most powerful persons during UPA years! Yet they hadn’t met!” he wrote.

“This was unimaginable! But it explained the personalities of Ratan Tata and Ahmed Patel, both. Ratan Tata wasn’t a supplicant to political power and Ahmed Patel never used his power to force the top corporate to meet him! Such was the political decency of that era. My tributes to both of them, the two great Indians!” Mr Sappal posted. 

Also Read | Silicon Valley Exec Remembers Ratan Tata, Says He “Wouldn’t Be Here Without Him”

Several other social media users have also shared stories of their encounters with Ratan Tata in the hours after his death. A Silicon Valley executive paid a heartfelt tribute to the business tycoon, saying he “wouldn’t be here” had it not been for the billionaire. Taking to X, Arnav Sahu, a Principal at Y Combinator, said that Ratan Tata’s scholarship programme allowed him to study in the US and build a career in the land of opportunity. 

Notably, Mr Sahu is one of the students who benefited from Ratan Tata’s scholarship scheme which helped him pursue higher education at Cornell University – an Ivy League college in New York. 

Ratan Tata died at Mumbai’s Breach Candy Hospital late last night at the age of 86. His death marks the end of an era in Indian business, where a man reshaped the country’s industrial landscape and catapulted his family-owned conglomerate into a global powerhouse.

Ratan Tata, chairman emeritus of one of India’s biggest conglomerates, Tata Sons, died on Wednesday in Mumbai after a long ailment. The 86-year-old was recognised for his integrity, ethical leadership and commitment to philanthropy, making him an iconic figure both in India and internationally. The business tycoon also played a key role in promoting mental well-being. He was an early advocate of corporate wellness programmes, understanding the importance of mental health in driving workplace productivity. As a chairman of Tata Group, he also fostered a work culture that prioritised employee health and happiness. 

Now, on the occasion of World Mental Health Day today, October 10, it is fitting to reflect on the contributions of Ratan Tata as the champion of mental well-being. 

One of his most significant contributions to mental health was via Tata Trusts, the philanthropic arm of Tata Group. Under his leadership, Tata Trusts initiated its work in mental healthcare and spearheaded several initiatives aimed at improving mental healthcare accessibility in India. This came at a time when there was very little recognition of the burden of mental disorders and a poor understanding of wellbeing and its impact on overall health. 

One of the main programmes under Ratan Tata’s leadership was the Trusts’ Udaan initiative – a mental health programme launched in 2016. According to the official site, Udaan focuses on rehabilitating individuals with mental disabilities through institutional reform and community-based mental health services. 

Udaan has recently undertaken two “large and path-breaking” programmes in collaboration with the Government of Maharashtra as well. First, through Udaan, the Trusts’ effort is to offer an alternative narrative in the global mental health space through systematic and evidence-based reforms, repurposing the role of a psychiatric hospital to offer vulnerable people an important element of care that is otherwise not available in low-resource settings.

The second collaborative programme launched by Udaan is a district-wide community mental health programme for the district of Nagpur. This ambitious programme directly covers a population of five million people, providing mental health services at their doorstep. It aims to work with communities to build awareness on mental health, early detection of illness and to provide care closer to home.

Also Read | Silicon Valley Exec Remembers Ratan Tata, Says He “Wouldn’t Be Here Without Him”

Apart from this, Mr Tata is also known for his empathy and genuine concern for people’s well-being. He once said, “I don’t believe in work-life balance. I believe in work-life integration. Make your work and life meaningful and fulfilling, and they will complement each other.” 

He once also remarked, “One day you will realize that material things mean nothing. All that matters is the well-being of the people you love”. 

Now, as we remember Ratan Tata today, his legacy in mental health advocacy continues to inspire us. Apart from this, he will also be remembered for his significant contributions to the healthcare sector in India, supporting initiatives addressing maternal health, child health and the diagnosis and treatment of diseases like cancer, malaria and tuberculosis.

Mumbai:

The final rites of Ratan Naval Tata – the industrialist with a heart of gold – were performed with full State honours at a Mumbai crematorium this afternoon.

Home Minister Amit Shah was among the many high-profile dignitaries on hand to pay their final respects to Mr Tata; he stands in for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is en route to Laos to attend the ASEAN-India and East Asia summits. Mr Modi last night hailed Mr Tata as a “an extraordinary human being”.

Mr Shah was accompanied by Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, and Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and his deputies, Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar.

Earlier today  Ratan Tata lay in state, wrapped in the national flag, at the National Centre for Performing Arts in Nariman Point, before his body was transported to the crematorium in Worli, a distance of 12 km.

Thousands lined the streets to bid goodbye to one of their own, an unassuming Mumbai-born and bred ‘chhotu‘ who transformed the Tata brand into a global powerhouse.

And the country’s most powerful politicians were joined by its most influential celebrities – actors and sportspersons – and the country’s richest, including the Ambanis and the Adanis, in paying their respects.

Maharashtra has announced a day of mourning as a mark of respect for a business leader and philanthropist admired in India and abroad for his simplicity, sincerity, and humanity.

READ | Ratan Naval Tata: Industrialist, Philanthropist, And Indian Icon

Ratan Tata’s contributions to the industrial and development sectors, to the economy and to the lives of tens of thousands of men and women, are too many to count.

Some, perhaps, deserve mention, such as the ‘revenge’ purchase of luxury brands Jaguar and Land Rover, which heralded India’s arrival on the global automotive stage, and his commitment to the welfare of dogs, exemplified by the Rs 165 crore hospital in Mumbai.

READ | The Jaguar Land Rover Story:  Ratan Tata’s ‘Revenge’ For Ford Snub

But his death unquestionably marks the end of an era; he was, perhaps, the last of his kind, someone who, despite fabulous privilege, never appeared to flaunt his wealth.

Indeed, Mr Tata could never be found on a list of billionaires simply because he donated the vast majority – 60 to 65 per cent, if some sources are to be believed – of his income.

The End

Ratan Tata died at Mumbai’s Breach Candy Hospital late last night at the age of 86.

READ | Ratan Tata, Industry Legend National Icon, Dies At 86

He was admitted Monday but, as was his nature, played down any fuss, declaring he was undergoing routine age-related medical check-ups. “There is no cause for concern. Thank you for thinking of me…”

Thank you for thinking of me pic.twitter.com/MICi6zVH99

— Ratan N. Tata (@RNTata2000) October 7, 2024

Hours later, just as discreetly and quietly, the Tata family broke the news.

“It is with a profound sense of loss that we bid farewell to Mr Ratan Naval Tata, a truly uncommon leader whose immeasurable contributions have shaped not only the Tata Group but also the very fabric of our nation,” the group’s Chairperson, N Chandrasekaran, said.

As the news spread the outpouring of grief underlined Mr Tata’s stature, but it was a fellow industrial titan, Anand Mahindra, who best captured the emotions of 145 crore Indians.

“I am unable to accept…” he said.

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Tata Group’s chairman emeritus and veteran industrialist Ratan Tata passed away at the age of 86.
| Photo Credit: ANI

Ratan Tata, Tata Group’s chairman emeritus passed away on Wednesday (October 9, 2024) at the age of 86.

Tata Group grew into a global powerhouse under Ratan Tata’s visionary leadership. Throughout his career, he has contributed to several sectors, including engineering and technology. The group’s significant global expansion under his leadership stands as a testament to his transformative impact on the Indian industry.

A collection of stories on the veteran industrialist

He would have smiled wryly at the irony, maybe even have had a chuckle in acknowledgement of its acuity, had he been told this. The soul of the man whose corporate name he made known globally was probably free to soar uninhibitedly only after he ceased to head the Tata Group.

In the dozen-odd years he lived after he stepped down as the Chairman of Tata Sons, Ratan Tata finally got to do what he loved to do: make a difference. Seed a business. Take a risk. Solve a problem harnessing technology. Work with young people inspired by a trail-blazing idea. Ideally not just a solution to an everyday problem; that yes, but one with many potential social ripples. In short, be the essence of him: an entrepreneur.

He helped seed over 50 businesses after 2012, none he loved more than Good Fellows, offering companionship by the young to senior citizens. Not all 50 flowered but some did, bringing returns he acknowledged he could never have imagined. And he never ceased to marvel at the ease and rapidity with which technology made it possible to convert an idea into a marketable solution.

It was ever so, that he wanted to find solutions. He knew his mind but legacies weighed. But it was ever a struggle, till eventually his obduracy prevailed, helped by mentors. 

He wanted to be an architect and study in the US; his father wanted him to enrol in an engineering college in the UK. He leaned on his grandmother; his surrogate mother after his parents divorced. And he went to Cornell, and switched majors from engineering to architecture. 

The USA was liberating. He landed a good job in Los Angeles, where he loved the weather, fell in love, not for the first time in vain, got himself a car, which must have had an open hood, and committed himself to the good life. Till his grandmother fell ill seriously. He knew he had to do the right thing: go home and be with her. And join the Tata group at Tata Steel in Jamshedpur.

They gave him a fancy bungalow in the Steel City and a car but he preferred to walk to the steel plant. He had many ideas on how they could make steel more efficiently and safely but they would quote prevailing norms older than his 25 years. 

He found his metier in Nelco, a small electronics company, he could restructure and grow. He even breathed life, briefly, into Tata’s textile mills. In the group, he came into his own as the Chairman of Tata Industries in the early 1980s with a charter to implement the new path he wanted the Group to take: collaborate with the world’s best to seed companies incorporating the latest in technology-led growth sectors. Enter Tata Honeywell, Tata Lucent, Tata Cummins, and Birla-Tata AT&T.

His forties tested his steel even as he spread his wings. As deputy chairman of Tata Motors, he entered into a staring contest with a militant trade unionist. He did not blink first. As Chairman of Air India, he was constantly at odds with the top management, ever resistant to his efforts to restore the airline to its heydays under JRD Tata, still the Group Chairman. 

He was 53, young for the legacy-doused Tata Group, when JRD, now his mentor, chose him as his successor because he had a “modern” mind. The move coincided with India unshackling itself from the licence raj with the 1991 reforms. This, too, was just so: Ratan Tata was the rare Indian industrialist who genuinely wanted the Indian economy to be opened up. Being globally competitive was no longer a choice for India and for the Tata Group.

Over the next two decades, Ratan Tata would remake the venerable group. From a loose bunch of companies run by numerous satraps with their own fiefdom of companies, the Tata Group became a cohesive conglomerate with companies in seven sectors, some smoke stack but many in the nimble-footed and growing Services sector of the rapidly consumerist Indian economy. Symbolically, Tata acquired its first Group logo after being around for over 100 years. On the ground, it acquired a group glue and a holy grail in the Tata Business Excellence Model to make the companies globally competitive. 

The Group also went global, aggressively, mainly as a hedge against dependence on one cyclic economy, India. Tata Tea acquired the much bigger Tetley. Tata Steel won Corus nee British Steel in a bruising auction. Tata Motors bought Land Rover and Jaguar from Ford. The world saw reverse colonialism as major British bands turned Tata. Ever the realist, Ratan Tata noted wryly that he was only keen to acquire Land-Rover to give his beloved Tata Motors a wider automotive footprint and a technologically superior collaborator. The more glamorous Jaguar marquee was thrust on him by Ford who would only sell both brands.

Now well into his 60s, he would often regret that he was not much younger. There was so much more he wanted to do though by now his fame had spread far and wide and he was a global business icon. Not a bit was because, it was incorrectly but widely reported, that he owned less than one per cent of the group, which spent two-thirds of its income on philanthropy. In truth, he owned around one per cent of the Group holding company, Tata Sons, which, in turn, was two-thirds owned by Tata Trusts, of which also he was the Chairman, and which, of course, received two-thirds of the Tata Sons dividends. 

It is these dividends, invested in addressing India’s poverty and improving its social infrastructure for well over a hundred years, which gives the Tata Group a unique halo and that rare social capital – trust. Nobody was more conscious or prouder of this trust than Ratan Tata. He would often say that you cannot be socially good and moral in parts; either you deserve the people’s trust or you don’t. He would strain every nerve to embed into the Group’s hundreds of thousands of employees that this trust was precious; it had to be nurtured in every deed and action. 

There were to be no exceptions. When one company CEO, known to be close to him, went rogue and placed the financial company in serious jeopardy, he made it known the Group would honour every deposit, and brought to bear the full brunt of the law on his favourite.

Was he conscious that he had a haloed name? Was he proud of it? Yes, to both. But he wore the name with humility and willingly bent to the demands it made on him. For which he had his grandmother to thank. He has spoken feelingly about how his grandmother instilled in him the virtues of doing the right thing.

She also taught him how to guard one’s dignity -to walk away rather than get into an undignified confrontation. Mostly he did that but there were exceptions. Most recently it was when he declared war on Cyrus Mistry who he ruthlessly ousted in a board coup, braving unprecedented public and media ignominy. 

Earlier, it was the Nano plant in West Bengal. When it came to combating Mamata Banerjee’s opposition to the Tata Motors’ plant in the rice fields of Singur he declared, with dignity: If somebody puts a gun to my head, I will not be the one to move my head. At a cost of hundreds of crores of rupees, and a crippling delay, the Nano plant was moved to Gujarat.

Of all his entrepreneurial endeavours, the Nano was closest to his heart. He was visibly proud, in his understated way, when he shared with some of us that Tata Motors had acquired the patent on the Nano name for the car. Conceived out of a desire to find a solution to the common sight of a family of four on a scooter, it was his challenge to a team of young Tata Motors engineers to come up with an affordable car. They did and he could proudly say into the strobe lights at its glittering launch: a word given is a word honoured. 

Somebody who made a difference, nothing more and nothing less. That’s how he recently said he would like to be remembered. He could not have put it more pithily or accurately. He was that rare individual who had his feet on the ground and his head in the clouds. He could see beyond many horizons because he was committed to solving society’s most pressing problems by harnessing frontier technology. 

He was, eponymously, and now posthumously, a Bharat Ratan. 

(The author is a senior journalist who took a break from journalism to work in Ratan Tata’s office for over a decade.

(Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author)
 

 

Delhi:

Industrial Ratan Tata’s last ‘pet project’ months before he died was a hospital for animals in Mumbai. Located in Mahalaxmi, the hospital opened in July and is a five-storey centre that can house almost 200 patients.

Ratan Tata, chairman emeritus of Tata Sons, died at 86. Just on Monday, the industrialist in a social media post had dismissed speculation surrounding his health and had said he was undergoing routine medical investigations due to his age.

The animal hospital, which cost Rs 165 crore to construct, is led by British veterinarian Thomas Heathcote.

The project was announced in 2017 and is planned to be housed in Navi Mumbai. However, Tata felt the commute would be cumbersome for pet parents and, hence, moved the hospital to a central location.

Spread over 98,000 square feet, the hospital with 24×7 emergency care, ICUs and HDUs with life support for critically ill and injured animals, advanced diagnostic imaging services, surgery units, speciality treatment (dermatology, dental, ophthalmology, etc), in-house pathology lab and in-patient wards.

On the board of directors is Shantanu Naidu, a general manager in the office of Ratan Tata, who founded the startup, Motopaws, which makes reflective collars for dogs so that they are visible to vehicles at night.

The philanthropist had elaborated that he had to fly a pet to the University of Minnesota for a joint replacement. “But I was too late, and so they froze the dog’s joint in a particular position. That experience enabled me to see what a world-class veterinary hospital was equipped to do,” he had said.

Ratan Tata with actor Swaroopa Khopkar and her husband Anil Khopkar, in 2010. File
| Photo Credit: Special arrangement

“He has been our heart”, said actor Swaroopa Khopkar, remembering Ratan Naval Tata, a colossal Industrialist, who passed away on Wednesday night (October 9, 2024) in Maharashtra’s Mumbai. 

Besides being a towering figure in the Indian industry, Ratan Naval Tata has been cherished for his relationships with his employees. Speaking to The Hindu, Swaroopa recalled her memories with Ratan Tata and all of it made her wonder how a person of such stature could be so humble and honest in all his work. Swaroopa (73) worked with Tata Motors in the corporate communication department for 27 years. 

Ratan Tata’s mortal remains kept at NCPA lawns: LIVE updates

Narrating an incident, she said, “Which top boss gives you two months paid leave for an acting gig in Europe; that is Ratan Tata for you. He did not just give me a paid leave but also gave me a winter package so that I could buy winter articles to cope with the cold weather in Europe. He was family to us and took care of our needs personally. After retirement in 2012, Swaroopa has been following her passion — acting. Even today, she is connected with the company through working in ads for Tata Motors. 

Swaroopas’s spouse Anil Kopkar (75) also worked for 40 years with Tata Motors. He started as a trainee and retired as assistant general manager in 2010. Anil expressed his gratitude towards Ratan Tata and said, “He has made me, after my retirement, I told him — ‘my life and my wife, I got both from Tatas’ and we both laughed.” 

Like Swaroopa, Deepak Deshpande, a former employee with Tata Motors also acknowledged the policies for employees of the Tata group, which were more development and growth-oriented policies that helped employees improve their skills and reach their potential. 

Deepak said, “I served 40 years of my life with Tata Motors, I have seen Ratan sir mixing up with people from down to top level like sugar.” Remembering an incident he said, “We organised a picnic in which he was going to participate but was running late. He called me up and apologised for the delay. I never in my life imagined a chairman would call me up and say sorry for being late for a picnic.” 

Deepak also recalled he had a habit of speaking to the watchman, and security guard whenever he visited any of his company branches and premises and enquired about their families.