India's Ratan: For Tata, it was always about doing the right thing

The whole Mistry issue was not something Ratan Tata wished for. But it was the right fight, says author Suhel Seth

On December 28, 2024, Ratan Tata, chairman emeritus of Tata Sons, would have been 87. A lifetime lived through the prism of values and ethics and many a time at both huge professional and personal cost.

But that is what Ratan Tata was all about. It was always about doing the right thing. Not the convenient one.

To talk about him in mere corporate terms would be doing the man a huge disservice for he transcended the vanilla corporate avatar a long time ago. A lot has been written about Ratan’s early years; his move back from Cornell and then being thrown into the hurly burly of corporate life by none other than J R D Tata. As have tales been told of his keenness for the things that matter to every Indian which is why the Tata Trusts, that he chaired to his very end, have been at the forefront of giving back in great measure: be it solutions for water conservation or getting the rural womenfolk of India, internet access.

But that is not what this piece is about.

This is about the man Ratan really was. His beliefs; his demeanour and above all, his humanism. All of which he fiercely guarded because of the intensely private person he was. Very few imagined the man’s perseverance about design and how it could help humanity. His undying affection for animals was a testament to the man’s heart and the pain he suffered when an animal died. I still remember he was being given a Lifetime Achievement Award by Prince Charles in February 2018: all arrangements had been made at Buckingham Palace and two days before the event he called me to say one of his dogs was unwell and he didn’t have the heart to travel and would I convey this to Prince Charles: something I did only to be told by Prince Charles, that this (Ratan) was an honourable man.

Tales of his compassion are now legion. But what is not known was the pain the man had gone through: a pain that he kept to himself and did not allow others to be touched by.

The whole Mistry issue was not something he wished for. But it was the right fight. A fight to protect a legacy of goodness and doing what was right by country and community. But then he was alone fighting the fight. Barbs were directed him; sullying comments made and innuendoes hurled but that did not deter Ratan from doing what he thought needed to be done. I still remember, Monday, October 24, 2016, when the Tata Sons Board had expressed its loss of faith in the then Chairman Cyrus Mistry and had requested Ratan Tata to step in as interim Chairman, Ratan was not happy. He never wanted things to play out this way. Which is why when N Chandrasekaran was appointed Chairman of Tata Sons, Ratan Tata heaved a sigh of relief: but he looked upon this chapter as one of learning and of recognising which people actually believed in the values that the Group did.

For me, my association has been deeply personal and deeply soul stirring. It was an honour whenever he spoke to me or about me: often calling me his friend. There could have been nothing more salutary or desirous because it came from a man, who above everything else, was an honourable man. And it was that very affection that he extended to my wife Lakshmi and our daughter Gayatri.

Only in July this year, all of us spent an entire afternoon at his home and the way he indulged my daughter all of four years, was not just heartwarming but something we as a family shall forever cherish.

What was also little known was the brilliant mimic he was; the superb advisor on design and a raconteur to the very end. His home was a testament to this.

I can go on and on about the expanse of the man’s mind or his mental rigour when it came to problem solving. But that would only be half the man that Ratan Tata was.

2021 was a year of great challenges for Ratan Tata and I saw him take the year in his stride with firmness and determination. The Mistry case judgment was a vindication of the values that he always held dear. And the return of Air India to the House of Tata was for him was not a victory but a humble recognition that ultimately goodness is what prevails,. For almost three decades, people had lobbied against the Tatas entering aviation but this was not to last. In the many meals that we had at his simple and yet charming home in Bombay, I have seen him talk about the country more than about the companies he is associated with. For the young, he remained inspirational as he invested in start-ups which had reformist ideas. His love for animals remained boundless as did his love for common decency.

For me, and perhaps for billions across the world, he will always be the quintessential Indian. Blending civilisational legacy with a strong belief in humanity’s essential goodness. He steered many ships as an elder statesman but remained young at heart: always willing to learn and more importantly, share. His ability to read and process never dimmed in the least nor his desire to always remain in the background.

His habits remained disarmingly simple and his manners, the epitome of what is the gold standard. Many are defined either by wealth or power. Ratan Tata was best defined by decency.

(Suhel Seth is Managing Partner of Counselage India: