Ratan Tata on his relationship with JRD Tata: He was 'like a father and a brother'

Ratan Tata recently opened up about his relationship with JRD Tata and his experience when he just started out as the Chairman of Tata Industries. In a recent exclusive post by Humans of Bombay, Tata said that JRD was his 'greatest mentor' and also 'like a father and a brother' to him. Furthermore, Tata also spoke about the criticism that JRD had faced when he stepped down as the Chairman and how he was clubbed with nepotism. 

Ratan Tata said, “I was lucky to have him there. He was my greatest mentor and the years that he was alive, I used to go into his office and say, ‘J, I wish this had happened 10 years ago, we have such a great relationship.’ He was like a father and a brother to me -- and not enough has been said about that.” 

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The Indian philanthropist also talked about his relationship with his grandmother after his return from Los Angeles and the values that she taught him. In the post, he said that he was 'glad' that he got to spend time with her before she died as after that he moved to Jamshedpur for an internship at what's known as Tata Motors now. He even mentioned that after becoming the Chairman he was branded as the 'wrong choice' and was also 'under a magnifying glass'. 

He added, “I did get to spend some time with my grandmother. I would run with my dog, catch up with her car and have long chats with her. I’m happy I got to spend that quality time with her before she passed because straight after, I moved to Jamshedpur for an internship with what’s known as Tata Motors today.”

Further, he said, “If you were to find the publications of that time, the criticism was personal -- JRD got clubbed with nepotism and I was branded as the wrong choice. I was under a magnifying glass for so long, but the time I spent on the floor served as my biggest plus!”

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Tata's relationship with his father

In an earlier post, Tata even said that 'it was in LA that he fell in love and almost got married'. In the long Facebook post, Ratan Tata further opened about his relationship with his father who was 'quite upset' with him at a point in his life. He even mentions that it is difficult now to mention who was right and who was wrong, but he recalls how he wanted to learn how to play the violin but his father insisted on piano, or how he wanted to go to an American college but his father insisted on British college. 

However, there was a 'fair bit of rancour', as Tata switched his specialisation and graduated with a degree in architecture even though he was enrolled in an engineering college. He further credited his grandmother for managing to study at Cornell University in the United States.

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