Ratan Tata Emphasised On Merit, Followed His Instincts — Mukund Rajan Looks Back On His Interactions

Ratan Tata said that to succeed in the corporate world all one needs is good common sense. In 1994, when Mukund Govind Rajan had expressed his doubts about being a good fit for the Group, this is what the industrialist had told him.

The author of The Brand Custodian-My Years With The Tatas shared his cherished memories of Tata with NDTV Profit, as India mourns the loss of its most revered industrialist and philanthropist. The ex chairman of the Tata Group breathed his last late Wednesday at the age of 86 years. His mortal remains will be brough to the Parsi crematorium in Worli at approximately 4 p.m.

Tata interviewed Rajan for the administrative services as chairman of selection committee in 1994. One of the many reasons, Rajan joined Tata's administrative services, was the fact that the group was one of the rare Indian conglomerates, which was genuinely committed to the cause of the environment, he said.

Rajan had told Tata that he had a master and doctorate in political science and not an MBA, and asked if the ex chairman was really sure he wanted to go forward with the appointment. In response, Tata had said that to succeed in corporate world all you need is good common sense. These words have been forever etched on Rajan's mind. 

Tata was quite a shy individual and somewhat an introvert. Certainly, he was not part of the Bombay cocktail party circuit. He had a very close and small social group, Rajan added.

Tata was one of the rare Indian corporate leaders who insisted to carry his own bag at the airport.

He was very simple in his taste. He was fun to be around. He had a tremendous sense of humour. He was an extraordinary mimic, Rajan said.

Rajan recalled when Tata drew caricatures of three Tata Sons directors in their 80s this once. The industrialist had drawn their bald heads from the back and showed it to them. Tata had sent these caricatures in print to the three individuals, Rajan said.

Tata was also a dog lover. He first had an alsatian dog, named Tito. He adopted the dog in the early days of his chairmanship and was very close with it, Rajan said.

Tata became very attached to Tito. Years later, when Tito passed away, he brought in two more dogs: Tito and Tango, Rajan mentioned.

Wherever he would go, he would warm up to dogs, and they would to him. Tata had insisted that a shelter be created at the Bombay house. All of them were provided collars. 

"He was very much a man who really cared about the well being of all the living things," Rajan said.

When one is at the top layer of a very large enterprise, they have very few people to open up to, but they keep on looking for companionship. Tata was a bachelor so there was a very little close family within his quarters, Rajan said. 

The business, to a great extent, was his life. "Remember, he carried the surname, he felt very deeply passionate to take the group to higher levels. He also walked in very big shoes when he succeeded predecessors, JRD Tata," he said. 

There were questions about his ability to grow this business after what  JRD Tata had already done. For the power, pomp, and glory which surround the chairmen of India's largest corporate houses, he never let that get to his head, Rajan said.

Tata was very keen that Tata Steel bloomed as a company with enormous capability. He was very nervous about missing opportunities to expand overseas.

"I remember seeing notes from him of progress of rival groups like Arcelor Mittal were making at the time. He felt that management needed more ambition," Rajan said.

Rajan suspected Tata was not very pleased with the eventual outcome of Corus (now Tata Steel Europe Ltd.). It turned out to be not the greatest of moves. For a long time after that, Tata Steel tried to repay some of the stress it had produced in the balance sheet, Rajan said.

In terms of challenge, he set out to the management, the determination to succeed with one major move for this particular company. The management worked in tandem with him and eventually they succeeded. 

"Unfortunately, luck was not in his side. Soon after, there was global financial crisis. Soon, he discovered that a lot of the debt the company had, had to be repaid at a high price," Rajan said. 

Tata was somebody who was not concerned about family, religion, and community. He always looked out for the best person for a job. So, expectation of succession happening within the family or within the Parsi community were unfounded, Rajan said.

"I don't think from succession perspective, he was concerned about genetics. But, he was certainly concerned about merit," he said.

Obviously, there were colossal and tragic failures, particularly in case of fall out between him and Cyrus Mistry. The case led to a series of events which Tata had not planned, Rajan said.

With Tata's passing, once can only hope the right thing will be done to ensure that both the Tata Group and the charities will choose the best person for a job, he said.