Tata to a Gem and much more

A gem is called Ratan in Hindi. To say goodbye to a gem is so hard. Ratan Tata, the head of the Tata Group passed away recently. I worked as an employee with the Tata Group in the Management Development Center for five years. I definitely believe that they were years that shaped my professional DNA.

Being a student at XLRI meant that Tata Steel surrounded us all the time. The blast furnace of Tata Steel was what I stared at as I brushed my teeth in the XLRI Hostel. The managers of Tata Steel and Telco taught. The evening college was full of Graduate Engineer Trainees who wanted to do an MBA. And of course examples of Tata Steel are inescapable if you are learning about employment laws.

Long before these were available ANYWHERE in the world, Tata Steel had thought of things we take for granted. "Tata Steel also pioneered several labour welfare benefits. These include an eight-hour working day, free medical aid, establishment of a welfare department, leave with pay, workers' provident fund scheme, workmen's accident compensation scheme, maternity benefits, profit sharing bonus and retiring gratuity." Read more

I saw Ratan Tata and JRD Tata when they would be there on campus. The class posed for photos with them. Over the course of a lifetime when we look back, we look at strengths and weaknesses of the person. Ratan Tata was no different. When Ratan Tata took over as Chairman of Tata Sons in 1991, the Tata Group's annual revenue was approximately $4 billion. By the time he retired in 2012, he had led the group to achieve a revenue of over $100 billion. As of the financial year 2024, the Tata Group's revenue has grown to $165 billion.

It is hard to live life as a human and avoid missteps and controversy. Ratan Tata was no exception. In 2011/ 2012, Ratan Tata appointed Cyrus Mistry as the successor to the Tata empire. Cyrus Mistry was part of the Shapoorji Pallonji & Co. - the largest stakeholder of the Tata Group for three generations. As the largest shareholder, the group was granted a seat on the Tata board, which went to Cyrus Mistry after the death of his father in 2006. Read this

Ratan Tata had made the appointment personally. Four years later October 2016, Cyrus Mistry was abruptly dismissed after a boardroom vote. The feud showed Ratan Tata as a human with his flaws. I have no idea who is right or wrong. Succession Planning is complex even within the family. This was far more complex.

Philanthropy and love for animals

Ratan Tata continued supporting different causes from healthcare, education, rural development, water, sanitation, hygiene, and skill development, he opened his wallet. His dream of building a car for Rs 1 Lakh ran into rough weather. But it was his moonshot. Maybe some other projects could be called moonshots. Maybe philanthropy was his moonshot.

Either way, he continued the tradition of making the Tata Group synonymous with honesty and integrity (largely). The group's investment in talent is what differentiates the Tatas. The Tata Management Development Center and Tata Management Training Center are two institutions that have historically played a major role in developing talent.

Tata to the Gem

How Does a Zoo Save Animals During a Natural Disaster

The hurricane seasons will happen every year. Who takes charge of the animals in a zoo when there is a hurricane?

Flamingos, for instance, live outside and must be moved to hurricane shelters during storms, so several times a year, zookeepers at Palm Beach Zoo, Florida, train the birds to follow them to shelter.

"We're not sure if the flamingos think they are shorter humans or they think that we're really pale flamingos, but because of that relationship, they want to hang out with us, and so we just ask them to walk with us," says Mike Terrell, the zoo's curator of animal experiences. They practice this regularly by strolling around the zoo on clear days, so when the emergency time comes "it's just part of their day", he adds. Read more

A podcast I heard and enjoyed

In this episode I enjoyed the description of Marc Andreesen's view of Venture Capital being all about people - and NOT money. Marc Andreesen runs a16z, one of the biggest VC firms in the world. Don't miss the story about Bezos being a long term thinker and what the whaling industry can tell us about people.