Quintessentially Tata – An Excerpt from Syamal Gupta’s book
In 1958, some of my friends informed me that a British company was looking for young engineers with experience and knowledge in rolling mills, who would be trained in their Design Office and Works in London. This seemed like a rare opportunity that could fulfil my dreams of going to London and seeing the world—a dream nurtured by many youth of my time. Even my brothers had moved overseas, to the UK and the US, for postgraduate studies.
I applied for the job and was shortlisted to meet the chairman at the company’s Kolkata Head Office for a final meeting. Following the interview, I was given an offer letter. Imagine my joy as I read it! The training was to be in England at their Design Office and manufacturing centre. The letter also stated that I would have to leave immediately and they would assist in organizing my passport and other formalities. On my return to India, they would offer me a salary of `1,100 per month, a car and a three-bedroom bungalow!
It was an unimaginable offer and I simply could not believe it was all happening to me! This was an opportunity of a lifetime and I was just 25 years old. I was thrilled and excited about going to London and rushed home with the letter of appointment.
Celebrations were on for a wedding in the family but I managed to take my mother aside and break the news about going to London. She knew how my generation aspired to be in London and said she was very happy for me. Then I approached my father with the offer letter. He too was happy that I had been offered such a tempting job, but said the salary offered by the British company was unrealistic for a man of my age and experience. ‘Desire, when you deserve,’ he said. Such salaries were paid those days to chief engineers close to their retirement. He was apprehensive about it and felt I was making a hasty decision. He was keen that I continue working in a great organization like TISCO. What he said made a deep impact on me. I turned down the offer and returned to Jamshedpur and focused on my job at TISCO.
A few weeks later, my immediate boss, D. V. Rao, told me that Mueller wanted to meet me and that I should immediately go to the office of the chief design engineer, H. P. Bodhanwala, who would brief me and take me to the chief engineer’s office. He was worried and so were the people who overheard him. The whole office became tense and apprehensive. I was bewildered and all sorts of fearful thoughts crossed my mind as I followed Bodhanwala to Mueller’s office.
What transpired in the meeting took me totally by surprise. After exchanging a few pleasantries, Mueller came straight to the point. He was aware that I had been offered another good job but chose to remain with TISCO. I was worried I would lose my job, but my fears were unfounded. Mueller expressed happiness that I decided to stay back at TISCO. ‘If you young people go away, then who will run TISCO?’ he mused.
As part of TISCO’s expansion programme, a new Inspection and Design (I&D) Department created in the Engineering division in 1956 to coordinate the activities was recruiting engineers. Bodhanwala and Chaterjee, who was now the assistant chief engineer, interviewed me for the position of an assistant engineer. Thereafter, I was selected to work in the I&D Department.
The appreciation and promotion by my seniors boosted my commitment towards the Tatas, and to TISCO in particular. I put my heart and soul into my new task and always go the extra mile to deliver more than expected. My parents too were happy that I had chosen to continue with TISCO. It was my first job and from then on, there was never an occasion when I wanted to leave the company for a better salary or for greater career opportunities elsewhere. The Tatas took great care of their people.
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This book is a must-read for all those simply curious or actively interested to know about the Tata visionaries and the working of Bombay House, the head office of the Tata group in Mumbai, that touches lives the world over. The author’s experiences over 55 years in one of the biggest business houses in India reflects the Tata’s pioneering spirit of entrepreneurship and its culture of nation-building, led by Tata Founder Jamsetji Tata, and stalwarts like JRD Tata, Sumant Moolgaokar, Naval Tata, Nani Palkhivala and Ratan Tata, known for their humility, generosity and forward-thinking.
As one of the bricklayers of the Tata group, the author narrates the story of how this business enterprise spread its wings in the world. This book vividly chronicles the author’s varied work experiences, ranging from the challenges of setting up Tata Precision Industries in Singapore in the 1970s to the difficulties of widening the group’s trade horizons in Africa and around the globe. Full of personal anecdotes, this account reflects Tata’s philosophy of trust, its culture of innovation and the growth of the group into new geographies, products and services, by staying committed, focusing on the big picture and building relationships to surmount difficulties.
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