How Ratan Tata comes prepared for meetings with founders: Kalaari Capital MD reveals

Ratan Tata started his career with Tata Group in 1961 and his first job was managing operations on the shop floor of Tata Steel. (File image)

Stories of industrialist Ratan Tata being an inspiration are not difficult to hear. As the business icon turned 85 on Wednesday, India Inc, politicians and regular social media users wish him a happy birthday. Vani Kola, managing director at venture capital company Kalaari Capital, left being inspired each time she met the chairman emeritus of Tata Sons.

“He always brought curiosity and was fully prepped for founder interactions,” she said in a LinkedIn post. Kola also shared her four key learnings from Ratan Tata.

The first thing that inspired her was Tata’s preparedness for meeting. “He always came with insightful questions for founder meetings. His attention to detail, curiosity, and calm, as well as his intellect and ability to think rationally, have inspired me no end,” she said.

His empathetic approach to feedback is the second learning for Vani Kola. Tata, she says, is not only approachable, but genuinely interested in being engaged.

“He was always eager to listen to ideas and engage with young entrepreneurs.”

The third learning from Tata is his graciousness, humility, and marked lack of pretentiousness, she said. These qualities have been generously talked about by several other admirers of Tata as well.

“He never had any airs about him. He is a perfect picture on how an authentic leader should be,” Kola said in her birthday post.

Ratan Tata’s eagerness to contribute towards making the world a better place is the fourth takeaway for Kola.

“Ideas that could make a positive difference genuinely excite him. He is an ideal role model for founders who are about to begin as well as entrepreneurs who are leading some of the biggest startups," she said