The humane leader who grew his Indian business into a global empire

THE story of local stray dogs being cared for in Bombay House, the headquarters of the Tata Group in Mumbai, is well known. What is perhaps less known is the personal relationships Ratan Naval Tata had nurtured with them. When Tata moved from Bombay House to the Tata Trust offices in 2012 after relinquishing charge as the group chairman, one black stray not only tracked him to his new office but also insisted on visiting him there on the fourth floor every day when he was in office. Nobody knew how the dog knew about Tata being in the vicinity but nevertheless he was always there to greet him.

- PRADIPTA BAGCHI

Cut to 2017. In one high-powered meeting with top officials and advisors of the group (where the writer was present), a silent observer in the room was stretched out, legs in the air on his doggy bed next to the boardroom table. At some point, the black dog woke up and stretched. Tata immediately leapt to his feet, petted the dog and opened the boardroom door so that the canine could make his way back out to the street (The meeting was temporarily adjourned to make sure that the dog's needs were looked after). The future of the Tata group would wait for five minutes.

This unwavering sense of humility and kindness towards people and animals has often been highlighted during Tata's life, but certain episodes during his career as the chairman of Tata group also brought his steely convictions and firm belief systems to the forefront. Once he made up his mind after due consideration, it was nigh impossible to change it.

Circa 2008, Singur, West Bengal. Under pressure from Mamata Banerjee, he took an overnight decision to move the Nano factory at significant risk to Sanand, Gujarat. “You can put a gun to my head. Then you can either shoot the gun or pull it away because I will not move my head, "Tata said then. He personally oversaw a monumental effort from the Tata Motors team, which in the best tradition of thrillers, saw them dismantling entire automotive production lines and equipment and moving out of the factory in the dead of night. That was the start of his long relationship with the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was then the Gujarat CM. While the Nano did not set the market alight commercially, the design innovations and manufacturing benchmarks it showcased inspired not only Tata Motors but also the entire Indian auto industry.