Before I begin this week's heartfelt, genuine, and very emotional column, I want to share my love for the entire Tata conglomerate. I say "love" specifically as it's infinitely stronger than just brand loyalty.
As I type this column sipping a coffee in Starbucks, where I reached by driving my Tata Nexon EV, and wearing clothes that I shopped on Tata Cliq, I remind myself that the Tata conglomerate is a part of everything, not just in my life but this is true for many others. Here is my small tribute to the man who was more than his business.
"Dear Mr Ratan Tata,
I begin this letter to you, with deep admiration and reflection. Though you may no longer walk among us, your spirit, values, and unparalleled legacy continue to resonate, inspiring millions. This is not just a tribute where I consider you a business giant or a corporate leader alone, it is a hat-tip to your life's work — rooted in compassion, ethical leadership, and an unshakable sense of purpose.
As I write this, I imagine you, smiling in quiet contemplation, a man who understood that leadership goes far beyond balance sheets and profits.
In a world obsessed with numbers, results, and building wealth, you showed us that success isn't just measured by someone's net worth or fame. You redefined leadership by teaching us that the real legacy lies in how many lives we touch, how much goodwill we spread, and the kindness that we extend.
Philanthropy beyond business
Your name may be synonymous with one of the most powerful business empires, but what truly sets you apart is your unwavering commitment to philanthropy.
The Tata Trusts, under your guidance, became not just a financial backer of charitable causes but a true driver of social change.
You didn’t just aim to build successful businesses; you sought to build a better world. Whether through education, healthcare, or rural development, your passion for improving society shines through. I've always said — The Tata Group built India into what it is today.
It's impossible to forget how you expanded healthcare access to India's remotest corners, giving marginalised communities access to basic human facilities. You showed the world that business and social responsibility aren't mutually exclusive but can, and should, work hand in hand.
Your strength lay in your quiet humility
Stories about your kindness are countless. From quietly helping an employee pay for his daughter's medical treatment to treating every person with respect, regardless of rank or title, you lived a life of humility. One particular anecdote stands out — how you ensured medical care for an employee without fanfare, only because it was the right thing to do.
You never sought attention for your good deeds.
This humility extended to your everyday actions. Many have shared how you listened to them with deep intent, regardless of whether they were a high-ranking executive or a janitor. Your humanity never wavered, even in the face of immense success — a rare quality in today’s world.
Setting a new standard
At a time when many business leaders prioritised profits over principles, you stood as a beacon of ethical leadership. You taught us that the role of business goes beyond generating wealth — it includes serving the community and the country.
While others might have been driven solely by profits, you made decisions that aligned with your vision of a better society.
Compassion as a corporate strategy
Your revolutionary approach to leadership proved that compassion and corporate success are not at odds.
Your philosophy of weaving empathy into the very fabric of your corporate strategies was groundbreaking. Under your leadership, the Tata Group demonstrated that businesses can thrive while still caring deeply for their employees and others as well.
Your leadership was not just about profits; it was about building a company that cared for people, adding to the country's progress, not just in India but in many other countries too.
In doing so, you created a blueprint for the future of corporate governance — one that places compassion and kindness at its very core which is the best organisational culture that can ever be built.
Your legacy continues through us
Even though you have left a void, your story doesn’t end here. It lives in each one of us who were inspired by your life and work. You once said that the future belongs to those who give, not those who seek to amass a fortune.
With that in mind, my final message to everyone reading this is simple: Let’s not just remember Ratan Tata as a successful businessman.
Let’s honour him by following his blueprint for creating a better world — one rooted in empathy and humility.
Your actions created history
I still remember writing a column in 2021, on how the Tata Group (Tata Motors) gifted the Altroz hatchback to 24 Indian Olympic athletes who narrowly missed winning a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics. The Altroz's tagline — The Gold Standard truly made these athletes feel like they had indeed won a gold medal.
Being a mental health professional, I truly appreciate and can outright claim that you indeed saved them from a chaotic journey of battling depression and a hundred other challenges.
When terrorists attacked the Taj hotel, any other businessman with the resources you have at your disposal would have opted for more security or even moved out of the country until the threat was neutralised, but it is unheard of that someone of your stature would spend three nights outside the hotel, pledging to restore it as soon as possible.
When you were denied entry to an air show in 2019, I wouldn't have been as patient as you were and would have used my influence instead. Your ability to wait calmly speaks volumes about your character.
You cared for not just humans, but animals too
How many businessmen have we heard about who take care of animals so arduously?
Your love for them was beyond donating to wildlife rescue centres or adopting baby elephants, it was about lending help to the ones that needed your immediate care.
After your demise, when your pet dog Goa bid goodbye to you, it not only brought tears to my eyes but also showed that you were kind enough to adopt, though you could have had your pick from the best breeds in the world.
When you didn't leave dogs Tango and Tito and cancelled a trip to London where you were to receive a prestigious lifetime achievement award from Prince Charles (now King Charles III) just because one of them was unwell to establishing a state-of-the-art and presumably one of the world's largest animal hospitals, named Small Animal Hospital (though there's nothing "small" about it) shows that you have not only touched the lives of animals but have created a safe haven for them.
As I sign off with a heavy heart and tears in my eyes, I make a promise to myself and to everyone who's reading this, that I shall do my best to make a difference in as many lives as I can.
You were the best role model, inspiring people like me to follow in your footsteps irrespective of what resources are at our disposal. Instilling the sense of true, genuine, and selfless service in an individual.
The loss is not only personal but universal.
With lots of love, admiration, and respect,
Adarsh Benakappa Basavaraj
