New Delhi: N Chandrasekaran, the Chairman of Tata Sons, posted a heartfelt note on legendary industrialist Ratan Tata and recalled how the late philanthropist dreamt for India and his love and affection towards the society.
Recalling his experience while working with Ratan Tata, Chandrasekaran mentioned an important incident when he and Tata came together to resolve a longstanding wage dispute between Tata Motors and its employees’ union.
“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. 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 passing through hardship. And both of us committed that this dispute would be concluded within a fortnight.
Mr. Tata’s direction squarely focused on making sure employees were well taken care of—not just to resolve the dispute, but to ensure they 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,” the Tata Sons chairman posted.
Sharing his personal experience, the Tata Sons chairman said, “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.”
Our relationship 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. I remember several such instances.
For late Ratan Tata, small details on any aspect were very important. Chandrasekaran recalled that when he wanted to renovate Tata Sons’ headquarters Bombay House in 2017, the first query Ratan Tata asked was what would happen to the dogs living there.
“Around that same time, 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.
When I finally mentioned to Mr. Tata about Bombay House, he 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.
He gently clarified: “Where will the dogs go?”
The dogs were an integral part of Bombay House, often seen at the reception.
“We will build a kennel.”
“Really?” he said, considering it.
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.
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,” Chandrasekaran wrote.
Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran shared his experiences while working and interacting with Ratan Tata. Biz News Business News – Personal Finance News, Share Market News, BSE/NSE News, Stock Exchange News Today
