GEM OF A PERSON
Ratan Tata didn’t have to care about a lot of things in life but he did. A man of many parts, he was a corporate legend, an animal lover, an institution-builder and, above all, a compassionate human being.
Among the countless things he will be missed for are the gestures of kindness that made the former Tata Sons chairman stand apart in the dazzling world of wealth and power. Somewhere deep down, Ratan Naval Tata knew it was the small joys that made a big difference. That says why he did the things he did.
A favourite story the legend’s admirers shared today was about how he once cancelled a meeting with senior Tata Sons stakeholders to tend to his ailing dog Tito.
Businessman Suhel Seth also shares an anecdote about Ratan Tata’s love for his pets. “In 2018 Ratan Tata skipped an event where Prince Charles was to honour him with a lifetime achievement award for philanthropy. Everything was planned when I learnt from Ratan Tata that one of his dogs was sick and he couldn’t come. And he didn’t. You know what Charles said about Ratan Tata. He said ‘that’s a man’.”
Among other priceless legacies of the man is the Small Animal Hospital Mumbai, a first of its kind pet hospital with 24X7 emergency care, that awaits replication across Indian cities.
It was in fact Ratan Tata’s love for dogs that brought him close to Shantanu Naidu, a young professional who would go on to become his most trusted aide. Ratan Tata first noticed Naidu, an MBA graduate from Cornell, for an initiative to create reflective collars for street dogs. An animal lover himself, the industrialist reached out to Shantanu and from that moment onwards, a deep friendship blossomed.
Shantanu became Ratan Tata’s personal assistant, working closely with him on various philanthropic projects, including the management of Tata Trusts. He later wrote a book, “I came upon a lighthouse” about stories of life with Ratan Tata. Shantanu was today seen leading his mentor’s hearse on a bike.
This is just one face of Ratan Tata. Earlier this year, he stepped in to save the careers of 115 staff members of Tata Institute of Social Sciences, the institute Dorabji Tata founded in 1934 as the first school of social work education in India. The school was rechristened TISS in 1944. Another facet of Ratan Tata’s personality is revealed by Srikanth Bolla, the visually impaired entrepreneur in whose enterprise Tata believed. Bolla wanted to convert waste to wealth at Bollant industries (currently valued at Rs 500 cr) but no one would bet on him.
“This loss is very personal. From being one of our first investors to mentoring us, Ratan Tata’s role in bringing up Bollant has been tremendous,” said Bolla, whose journey recently inspired the Raj Kumar Rao-starrer Srikanth.
Finally, there are the survivors of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks that targeted the iconic Taj Mahal Hotel, commissioned by Ratan Tata’s great grandfather Jamshedji Tata. After the tragedy, Ratan Tata pledged to take care of the families of the hotel staff members who died or were injured in the attack. The Taj Public Service Welfare Trust was set up to keep this promise. On November 26, 2019, when India marked 11 years of the attack, Ratan Tata famously said, “We can be hurt, but can’t be knocked out.”
The legend will live on.
