Vision of Life; by Sanjay: School named RatanTata!

“Price is what you pay. Value is what you get.”
― Warren Buffett

“If there are challenges thrown across, then some interesting, innovative solutions are found. Without challenges, the tendency is to go the same way” … Ratan Tata

“When you see in places like Africa and parts of Asia abject poverty, hungry children and malnutrition around you, and you look at yourself as being people who have well-being and comforts, I think it takes a very insensitive, tough person not to feel they need to do something”… Ratan Tata

“What I would like to do is to leave behind a sustainable entity of a set of companies that operate in an exemplary manner in terms of ethics, values and continue what our ancestors left behind”… Ratan Tata

Well, who better than Mr Buffett would be there to guide me when the subject of sharing is our version of him i.e. Mr Ratan Tata & I am not comparing them as you, only a fool compares the moon & the sun as both are the best & unique at their place, the way these two names are! And by that logic also Mr Buffett & Mr Tata live exactly in two different worlds just the way sun makes our day bright & moon light up our nights but both can’t exist in the same time but their light is always there to guide us & so are the words of wisdom from these two for us! By now, State elections have been declared & most people have paid their tribute on social media showing their respect (?) for Mr Ratan Tata on his demise, btw most these people came to know Mr Ratan Tata was alive till 10^th Oct 24, only after they got message on their Insta/ FB or WhatsApp chat box & then they also posted their tribute. In many Chowks (nukkads) Ganeh/ Durga mandals displayed board of Shrdhanjali to Mr Ratan Tata, as well that day including our Hon PM to Bollywood Celebrities every person who has account on FB/Insta posted something about Mr Tata & those who are not having such account (there are still such good men/women) forwarded message on WhatsApp to their groups about Mr Tata & the day ended, so did life’s journey of Mr Ratan Tata! Now you will say, what are you doing, joining the bandwagon on which you are laughing, well yes if you think so as I can't control what you should think & answer is I am writing this post not just as tribute to Mr Tata but to thank him for what he (read as Tata group ) hast taught me & to pass that on to my sons as well my team & to anybody who is interested in improving hem/herself!

Let me clear at the first, whatever I am sharing about Mr.Ratan Tata it’s my exposure from news about him, his speeches I came across on social media & to read about Tata groups contribution not as business-house but to the society. I have never ever seen Mr Ratan Tata nor worked for any of his business, so this is sheer my take away the way Ekalavya did from Draunacharya in Mahabharata (plz google), and this I mentioned just for analogy as Mr Tata is Draunacharya in many aspects but I am not even 1 % near Ekalavya, but I tried, is what I can say! While I was going through the posts & forwards tsunami then many even went to say Mr ratan Tata built Tajmahal Hotel & was adopted & what not! Well, he never built original or say first Taj Mahal Hotel but his grandfather Mr JRD Tata did, though Mr Ratan Tata did build new Taj i.e. phase 2 of Tajmahal Hotel adjoining to old one as well Mr Ratan Tata wasn’t adopted in Tata family but his dad was by JRD Tata! But who cares, as people were busy in posting & forwarding their respect for Mr Ratan Tata & everybody wanted to do that, that’s what brand Tata is, this is my subject of sharing! Rather the three quotes of Mr Ratan Tata which I have shared at start itself are enough to make you know what kind of person he was & how much you can learn from him!

Let me share something which I came to know about Tata products which most of us may be using but never realize. My first encounter with the name (read as brand) Tata was in school days, as on all trucks passing in front of my home from the NH-6, Bombay- Calcutta, where engraved by “T” which I later came to know is Tata & the Tata Namak i.e. slat we use to buy, that was just beginning! As I started my journey on the path of life, I came across many tata brands & ventures, few I could afford to use then & few I just kept reading about such as Taj Hotels & whether I can avail some tata brand or not, one thing was common its commitment to their customers & service, which stand above everything. About Ratan Tata, I first read about Ratan Tata when in the 90's the infamous Telco (a Tata group company which makes automobiles) worker’s strike happened. That time we were just out of engg college & to get a job in Telco was as equal to get H1B visa (please google) & being a civil engg, though I knew I will never make to Telco yet there were Tata Hydro & Tata Power for the civil engineers, where to get in was equally tough & there I come to know Tata has a dam also in its ownership & my respect for the company grew more, as who owns a dam!! And the more I started reading about Mr Ratan Tata & the brand the more I was in awe of both of them as here is a company headed by a man which believes in building society along with making money, something not our country’s businessmen are known for! Will share a list of a few Institutes which Tata’s started & few of them are still run by them…

· Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (3 C, 9 P)

· Tata Institute of Social Sciences (1 C, 4 P)

I have deliberately shared the names with link so if anyone wants to know more about these institutes then he/ she can do so by clicking the respective links (well, there are few mad like me) & one look at above names & you will know the contribution of Tata’s & why Ratan Tata is great! Well, many of these institutes has not been started by Mr Ratan Tata but as a successor or say boss, he not only allowed them to function but make them grow as well start some new ones also, that itself is a big thing as how many of us take ahead legacy of our parents especially when its spending money for the society, try answering this question & you will know why people respect Ratan tata!

Years passed by & if in the first phase of my career I tried in my limited authority to follow Mr Ratan Tata in two ways, i.e. first try to do your work in as best possible way you can & make money while doing so which may be less in comparison to others & second, try to give back society something in whatsoever possible way you can! This is how I came in contact with TERI, The Energy & Resource Institute which was earlier Tata Energy & Resource Institute! Imagine when there were not many people who even knew the terms like Energy, Pollution, Environment at that time this guy starts an Institute dedicated to Energy saving & do mind to preach or give lecture is easy but to spend from your own pocket when there is not even acknowledgement for your efforts is something like fighting on border for people whom you don’t know, this is what ratan tata is great! And when I started my own business, I was lucky to be able to make some money & witness or avail a few Tata services which I never even dreamt about & being in a Taj hotel was one such. There I realize, it's not about luxury as you can buy the best of the artefacts & build a lavishly decorated hotel but it’s about the service & how you make your customer feel special is what makes Taj Hotels the best, that’s Tata touch, is what I started understanding! At the same time social media was the in thing & yet here also Mr Ratan Tata is special the way he always faces (read as used) the public forum, while most big names use social media to remain in news by making controversial statements about others Mr Ratan Tata never uttered any such thing about anybody barring once about when he commented on Mr Mukesh Ambani’s High Rise residence, & that only shows his human side! And about this aspect there was a famous saying in Telco factory’s canteen, whenever he used to visit the factory, he used to eat his lunch with the workers in their canteen, where the signage says, “Our workers eat the same food which our officers eat” which he changed to, “Our officers eat the same food which our workers eat”! My wordings may not be exact but essence is, be grounded & keep no barriers between the organization which is the main cause of unrest today in our society, the barriers of caste, money, position, religion & many such with which Mr.Ratan Tata was never bound by!

On business fronts also his ride was not easy, making us realize the more powerful a kingdom, thornier is the chair which heads that kingdom! There were setbacks right from loss making Rs 1 lakh car i.e. Nano, to facing international brands in the automobile sector & getting taunted as truck maker’s cars for the domestic vehicles but it’s under Ratan Tata’s leadership, the company answered to its critics in the best way i.e. by performance! This year only Tata beat Suzuki (Maruti) for the first time ever on the sale of domestic vehicles (cars) & it’s not overnight success, do mind! At the same time England’s pride Jaguar & Range Rover cars are now owned by an Indian i.e. Tata, what more honour can be there for a company! On the leadership front he stepped down to give way for young blood a decision which backfired, he again intervened & did the damage control, showing the world he means business also! Frankly most of these things are available on many domains now, so what I learned from Mr ratan tata, that is the core of my sharing, & here we go in pointers…

1.Give hundred percent to make any product, even if it may make you face losses on the money front.

2.Do make money but learn to use it for the right cause.

3.You are a businessman & your job is to run your business in profit but before that you are a human being.

4.Sucees must make you humble as then only you deserve it.

5.Never be afraid to take a stand for what you believe in.

6.A long-lasting brand can be built only if you build a character for yourself.

7.Last but least, (which is all time gyan.com but very few can live that), it's not what you have earned defines you but what you will be leaving back, will decide that!

Well, as I said I have not reached to practice even to 10% of what I have narrated but I am sure Mr Ratan Tata, had he could read this would have been happy for my understanding & I keep trying, this I am writing for my sons & my team! BTW, in a country where people spend days & months in celebrating or mourning over life & death, Tata group company’s work wasn’t stopped for the death of Mr ratan tata even for a minute, that’s what I say, living & even dying by the example! There have been hundreds of messages about Mr Ratan Tata (for just one day) but to try to walk on his path for ever, will be the best tribute which he would have liked to have, adios with this note, my team, mind it!

Sanjay Deshpande

smd156812@gmail.com

Sanjeevani Dev.

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https://visonoflife.blogspot.com/2024/01/choosing-your-home-along-with-future-of.html

http://jivnachadrushtikon.blogspot.com/2023/02/blog-post.html

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