No One Really Like Ratan Tata: N Chandrasekaran's Tribute

Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran penned a heart-touching tribute to Mr Ratan Tata. Chandrasekaran's tribute for Ratan Tata is a beautiful reflection of the deep admiration and respect he holds for the legendary industrialist. Chandrasekaran highlights Ratan Tata's humanity, keen observation, and the way he prioritized people, especially employees, in his leadership. The anecdotes he shares, such as the way Ratan Tata focused on employee welfare during a dispute and his attention to detail—even with the renovation of Bombay House, including the care for the resident dogs—reveal the essence of Ratan Tata's character. He was a visionary not just for big projects but also for the small, meaningful gestures that shaped lives and created a lasting impact.

Chandrasekaran's tribute emphasizes how Ratan Tata's ability to remember the smallest details and his compassionate nature left a mark on everyone he interacted with. His warmth, vision for India, and thoughtful approach to leadership continue to inspire and will be remembered for generations.

Here is N Chandrasekaran's Tribute to Ratan Tata

Anybody who met Mr. Tata came away with a story about his humanity, warmth, and dreams for India. There really was no one like him.
Our relationship grew over the years, first focusing on business and eventually evolving into a more personal connection. We discussed interests ranging from cars to hotels, but when our conversations turned to other matters—those of daily life—he would show how much he noticed and felt. He was someone to be discovered, over time and through experience.
I remember several such instances.
Just after I became Chairman, I was introduced to a situation within Tata Motors which involved a dispute between the company and the employees’ union over wages for two years. In March ‘17, Mr. Tata and I met the union leaders together. During the meeting, Mr. Tata relayed three messages: he regretted the delay in finding a resolution. He explained that the company was passing through hardship. And both of us committed that this dispute would be concluded within a fortnight.
Mr. Tata’s direction squarely focused on making sure employees were well taken care of—not just to resolve the dispute, but to ensure they and their families’ well-being. Across other Group companies, his perspective on employees was uniform. It is something that has shaped a number of our leaders across the Group.
Around that same time, I expressed a desire to renovate our headquarters, Bombay House. Bombay House had not been touched since 1924, and more important (as many people told me) Mr. Tata would not like it. “Bombay House is a temple,” I was told, emphasising its sanctity.
When I finally mentioned to Mr. Tata about Bombay House, he said, “May I ask you something? When you say ‘renovate’, do you mean ‘vacate’?”
I explained that we planned to move everyone to a nearby office.
He gently clarified: “Where will the dogs go?”
The dogs were an integral part of Bombay House, often seen at the reception.
“We will build a kennel.”
“Really?” he said, considering it.
When the renovation of Bombay House was complete, Mr. Tata wanted to see the kennel first.
He was very happy to see how thoughtful the kennel’s design was, and how well the dogs would be cared for.
Seeing his happiness with the kennel and his priorities was a reminder that while big projects are important, it’s the details that reveal how we think, what we prioritise, and how we are perceived. His joy was confirmation that we had done the right thing.
If Mr. Tata ever visited a place, he could recall everything—from the placement of smallest piece of furniture, the lighting, colours, and so on. His memory was photographic. He remembered the covers and content of books and magazines and referred to them even years later. He was always observing and processing, from large ideas to minute detail.
There is so much else to say about who he was, but for now, as I process his absence, this will have to do: His eye received everything clearly, as his mind perceived everything clearly.