Anand Mahindra recalls when Ratan Tata surprised him with a visit to ‘check rivals’

Despite being a trailblazer when it came to expanding his empire, Ratan Tata never compromised on ethics and integrity to surge ahead of the competition. Several leaders of India.Inc mourned the demise of the former Chairman of Tata Group. Anand Mahindra, the Chairman of Mahindra Group, recently paid a homage to the national icon and reminisced about one of his fondest memories about him.

“It was a privilege of my generation to have worked in industry alongside RNT.. One of my most enjoyable memories of him? At the Auto Expo in Delhi, almost 20 years ago. I was at our company pavilion. We heard a buzz at the entry & saw RNT come in with his colleagues—unplanned, unexpected. When I went up to welcome him, he chuckled and said: “I just came in to check out the competition!” I will miss him greatly.

Earlier, the billionaire penned a heartfelt post, reminiscing about his contributions and his legacy. “I am unable to accept the absence of Ratan Tata. India’s economy stands on the cusp of a historic leap forward.


And Ratan’s life and work have had much to do with our being in this position. Hence, his mentorship and guidance at this point in time would have been invaluable. With him gone, all we can do is to commit to emulating his example. Because he was a businessman for whom financial wealth and success was most useful when it was put to the service of the global community. Goodbye and Godspeed, Mr. T….. You will not be forgotten. Because Legends never die…” he wrote on X.

India Inc Pays Homage To Late Icon

Upon his demise, several leaders of India’s business and startup community flooded social media to reminisce about the late tycoon. Infosys founder Narayana Murthy reflected how despite TCS being the direct competitor to Infosys in the IT sector, Tata did not let it deter from them forming a friendship. “Why I found him to be unique among the businessmen is the fact that he was competent, humble, courteous, curious, concerned, and patriotic,” Murthy said.

“On rare occasions when he disagreed, he was not disagreeable. He also remembered how Tata always remained cordial and respectful to people regardless of their station in life. “Whether he was speaking to an admiring teanager, of which there are, of course, zillions in India, or to a much-respected senior business person, his sincerity, depth of knowledge, intense patriotism, and his legendary courtesy shone through effortlessly..” he revealed.

Wipro Chairman Rishad Premji also paid a touching tribute. In his post, Premji commended Ratan Tata for his remarkable philanthropic efforts, describing him as an "extraordinary man" who significantly enhanced India's standing on the global stage.

“Mr Tata’s loss will be deeply felt. An extraordinary man, he not only elevated India’s presence on the global stage, but also truly institutionalised philanthropy. We are a richer nation thanks to him, and poorer to have lost him. Go well, Mr Tata,” he wrote.

Google’s CEO Sunder Pichai reflected how the late entrepreneur “deeply cared about making India better.”

“My last meeting with Ratan Tata at Google, we talked about the progress of Waymo and his vision was inspiring to hear." Pichai said. "He leaves an extraordinary business and philanthropic legacy and was instrumental in mentoring and developing modern business leadership in India," he said.

Born on December 28, 1937, in Mumbai, Tata was the former Chairman of the Ratan Tata Trust and Dorabji Tata Trust, two of the largest philanthropic organizations in India's private sector.

From 1991 until his retirement in 2012, Tata held the position of Chairman at Tata Sons, the parent company of the Tata Group. After stepping down, he was named Chairman Emeritus of Tata Sons. In recognition of his contributions, he was awarded the Padma Vibhushan, India’s second-highest civilian honor, in 2008.