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Old 15th May 2008, 19:50   #1
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The Last Rajah : Ratan Tata

In the last couple of years we have seen the leap of faith that Tatas took some 5 years back coming to fuition. Tatas are certainly wowing the world where it comes to audacity and boldness of conviction. What started off with a trickle has today turned into a gurgling stream of the tropical rain forests. And from the looks of it things can only get bigger and bolder in the days to come.

The man behind this face change for the group is of course Ratan Tata. He had enough conviction and fighting spirit in him to dream of this day and prepare the group for it. It was not sudden, nor was it easy. If anything the change was a painful and at times a very long-drawn game of patience and grit. And Tata is a fighter to the core. As he once said when faced by the militant unions that went on rampage in a Tata plant, "if you put a gun on my head then you had better take it off or else fire the gun. I am certainly not going to move my head". Needless to say he broke the back of the militant unions and restored normalcy.

Ratan is also philanthropist to the core. What the Tatas do to a city of Jamshedpur and its denizens numbering well over 70,000 when only a mere 20,000 are its employees is again something of a lesson in social responsibility for the corporate citizens of this world. Needless to say he is a Rajah... a benevolent king, probably the last of his kind.

But then what after he retires? Thats a chink that Ratan has not yet completely managed to mend. Its a thought provoking question...

You can read more here.

Last edited by Zappo : 16th May 2008 at 02:33.
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Old 15th May 2008, 20:09   #2
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Not just Ratan Tata but also JRD and JN before him. Not to take away from Ratan Tata's achievements, of course.

To truly understand what Tata has done for the country and the Indian industry, one can read:
For the Love of India: The Life and Times of Jamsetji Tata
R M Lala, Penguin Books India
Beyond the Last Blue Mountain: A Life of J.R.D. Tata
R M Lala, Penguin Books India

Specifically with respect to Jamshedpur and Tata Steel,
The Romance of Tata Steel
R M Lala, Penguin Books India

But yes, the big question, who can lead the empire to greater heights? Noel Tata's name has come up a few times but that's about it.

Let's wait and see.

Edit: Great thread, Zappo.

Last edited by hrag : 15th May 2008 at 20:12.
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Old 16th May 2008, 02:42   #3
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Definitely. The story began with the visionary Jamshetji whose contribution to India's Industrialization is unparalleled. JRD carried that legacy over and is an illuminary in his own rights. In comparison Ratan Tata was supposedly the unknown, reclusive nephew whose capabilities were supposedly a suspect till long.

However with the markets opening up and the challenges across the world threatening to overtake the markets Ratan realized the need for that sweeping change which to be truthful was never felt by his predecessors simply because the requirement was never there. However to see the future is one thing and then to plan for it and actually take it to that level where they can take the fight to the external markets needs something entirely different.

In that respect the BusinessWeek article was a real eye opener. Its heartening to note that the whole Tata group was totally worth some $12 billions in 2003 and today after just 5 years they are worth more than $50 billion dollars. Thats the hallmark of a leader.
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Old 16th May 2008, 08:23   #4
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read below old topic posted long back on JRD,
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/shifti...-who-else.html
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Old 16th May 2008, 10:39   #5
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The whole stock market also helped to raise all Indian businesses based in India only to unprecedented values, most of which is arguable. But 'Sir' Ratan Tata did the opposite and took them everywhere on the globe. I truly admire his vision & his grit with which he carried irrespective of others opinion. And most certainly, it is my biggest privilage to share my birthday with such a visionary as Ratan Tata & D.B. Ambani.
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Old 16th May 2008, 11:13   #6
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Few updates:
Ratan Tata has been selected for the Time
magazine's 2008 list of the world's 100 most influential people

Sonia, Tata, Nooyi among Time's 100 most influential people- Hindustan Times

IISc Bangalore will honor Ratan Tata with Felloship. the news is in the below link
IISc Bangalore will honour Kalam, Tata, Swaminathan, Narasimha with Fellowship*INDIA*NEWS MyNews.in:
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Old 26th August 2008, 18:08   #7
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Ratan Tata's words of inspiration

Ratan Naval Tata has been called many things. Quiet. Reticent. Humble. A businessman par excellence. Tenacious. And a tiger, when pushed to the wall.

As we all witnessed when it looked like the controversy about Singur, where the Tata Nano was to be manufactured, looked like escalating instead of dying down.
The 70-year-old roared, "If people say that that we will protect our investments irrespective of anything then they are wrong. I will not bring in my employees to Singur if there is threat of them being beaten up. Tata will do whatever necessary to protect its employees."
It was a statement, not a threat -- a statement that Ratan Tata will not hesitate to execute. Here are some more inspirational words of wisdom from a titan of India's business world. Check them out.......

rediff.com: Ratan Tata's words of inspiration
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Old 26th August 2008, 18:39   #8
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Ratan Tata is the business leader I respect the most amongst his Indian peers, and Tata is the Indian company that I hold the highest regard for. I have to admit, my choice of the Tata Indigo was partly influenced by these two factors. And I always insist on staying at the Taj. The level of ethics and service standards of a Tata Group company are unparalleled.

I hope Ratan Tata finds a suitable successor who has a value system as high as his. He won't admit it, but I am sure he has a succession plan in place; all great leaders do atleast 10 years prior to their retirement.
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Old 26th August 2008, 19:49   #9
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Ratan Tata is definitely a man who commands natural respect wherever he goes. He has been the standing inspiration behind so many of his men who work for different Tata concerns.

Ratan Tata has proven what grit, determination, courage and conviction together can achieve. He has shown that one can achieve the most audacious of targets if they have that faith in themselves. JRD was a great illuminary of his times. During those days Ratan was written off as the not-so-worthy a nephew of JRD. When he took over everyone was in a fix. No one knew what was coming.

Obviously, Ratan showed why the Tatas are so respected everywhere. People always considered JRD as the god. Even today he is reverred. But I believe today Ratan has definitely proven that JRD was but a prelude to what was to come next. Ratan has taken the brand Tata to a level where the world takes a note and a bow.

Unfortunately though they say one trick that Ratan missed was in finding and grooming a worthy successor to himself. Probably the circumstances around him when he took over and then the following developments never let him do that. Even Ratan Tata acknowledges that as a problem. I truly hope that the eventual successor proves as worthy as the Rajah himself. I definitely would hate to find out that Ratan was indeed the Last Rajah. But then again in some ways you won't find someone like him in the whole world no matter how hard you try.
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Old 26th August 2008, 20:17   #10
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When I was younger and used to visit Colaba for my summer vacations I would often see him taking his canine friends for a walk. We would stare from the distance in awe. Those days of course he was just a rich businessman to us. Now of course I view him as much much more... but still in awe.

And as someone mentioned earlier the vision of JRD and JN is a very important facet of Industrialization in our coutry. We studied the Tata family and their contributions to society as part of our Industrial Relations curriculum....cut to now when we have Infosys etc who dont hold a candle to these men.
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Old 26th August 2008, 20:31   #11
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Unless like Ambanis who are known to practice dubious means to get the works done from the govt, Ratan Tata has been getting the work done from the govt by just following the rule book and its quite magnificient. He is no doubt a great visionary. IMO, he might have already been thought of his successor by now. Because to maintain such a huge empire is not a joke and keeping them altogether in one umbrella is another difficult task. Nowadays, if we see other business houses, almost all ofthem are in tatters as the family feuds are ruling the roost than the interest of nation or their company. We have seen this in Birlas/Ambanis/Piramal/Bombay Dyeing/Bajaj etc to name a few..

One one thing I can say is "Hats of to you Ratanji for creating & maintaining such a huge empire".
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Old 29th August 2008, 21:06   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by s0uljah View Post
cut to now when we have Infosys etc who dont hold a candle to these men.
Have to strongly disagree. Narayanmurthy is as respected - and as honest, if not more. Infosys has made more millionaires - both from stock and direct salary - than the Tatas. Then again, we are comparing Apples with Oranges. Infy has indeed assisted the economy and helped the country grow. NRM has shared his part of wealth quite generously.
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Old 30th August 2008, 02:13   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by agentsmith2 View Post
Have to strongly disagree. Narayanmurthy is as respected - and as honest, if not more. Infosys has made more millionaires - both from stock and direct salary - than the Tatas. Then again, we are comparing Apples with Oranges. Infy has indeed assisted the economy and helped the country grow. NRM has shared his part of wealth quite generously.
NRN is a whiner and whinger who can't even sing the Indian national anthem with pride. He gave us all some crap about humming it to not 'embarass foreign guests'. No respect for that fellow here, sorry.

Tata has created cities. You compare a city with a millionaire now.
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Old 30th August 2008, 09:18   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by v1p3r View Post
Tata has created cities. You compare a city with a millionaire now.
No, I don't compare them at all. Please review my previous comment. Appreciation of Tata doesn't mean you have to denigrate other Entrepreneurs.

On comparison itself, 150 years can't compare with the 18 Infy has.

Give Infy 150 years please to value their contribution akin to Tatas. They've made good millionaires. Let's see if they can own and build a few cities as well.

Just trying to be fact-based and objective. NRN may be a whiner but he's an Entrepreneur who started from scratch - so if I HAVE to, I'll compare him to Jamsetji Tata. I do know he wasn't percieved that well - in british circuits. So can't compare Apples with Oranges.

Having said that I'll not pull any Entrepreneur/Business Person down to contrast his/her achievements with other's - not until my contribution to the economy is atleast equal to the business person I wish to pull down.
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Old 30th August 2008, 09:35   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by agentsmith2 View Post
No, I don't compare them at all. Please review my previous comment. Appreciation of Tata doesn't mean you have to denigrate other Entrepreneurs.

On comparison itself, 150 years can't compare with the 18 Infy has.

Give Infy 150 years please to value their contribution akin to Tatas. They've made good millionaires. Let's see if they can own and build a few cities as well.
No denigration, they are a class apart. Whose pulling anyone down? Im just talking about the differences between then and now. Building Bus stands plastered with infosys/wipro doesnt mean you have built a city.

Forget Tata... what about Walchand of HAL ? Come to Bangalore and see the work HAL has done... roads, schools etc. Thats called employee welfare. Not building millionaires.

Anyway we are going offtopic

Last edited by s0uljah : 30th August 2008 at 09:38. Reason: added HAL footnote
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