Ratan Tata remembers the time when there were no cellphones

Ratan Tata's 2.0 avatar, post his days as the Tata Sons chairman, has been characterised by his burgeoning e-commerce investments. He has invested in startups which ensure that most consumer needs are one app away from being fulfilled.

This, by a man, who grew up at a time when even telephones (read: landlines) were a luxury. At a recent Google and Tata Trusts event, hosted also by the VP and MD of Google South East Asia Rajan Anandan, Tata spoke of a different time. "Most of the people in this room are much younger than me. When I went to school in Bombay, it took seven to ten years to get a telephone."

Fast forward to today, when everyone sports a cellphone, many even smartphones. Tata, on his part, is clearly bullish on technology, for business and otherwise.